February 10, 2018
WESTERVILLE, Ohio - The All-Ohio Indoor Track and Field Championship is by far the second most important and prestigious indoor meet, after a conference championship, for nearly all of Ohio's Division III athletes. With such a wide and deep field as the meet presents, placings in the points, i.e. among the top 8, are coveted and hard-earned honors. The Bluffton Beavers therefore had much to be proud of following Saturday's championship hosted by Otterbein University.
Pole vault had by far the most event athletes in the meet with five vaulters having earned their way to the championship. When the dust settled, freshman GABE MAKIN (Elida) stood second on the podium with senior teammate KYLE KNEZOVICH (Utica) occupying the third spot. Sophomore JUSTIN KAUFFMAN (Smithville) placed in the points with a 7th place clearance. Sophomore TORI BOWEN (Wapakoneta/Elida) showed what the female vaulters could do with a big PR 11' 9" clearance, good for 4th in the field of quality competitors. Junior SARAH OLIVER (Lexington) equaled the indoor PR that had qualified her for the championship so came away satisfied.
On the track, sophomore DAKOTA FROST (Edgerton/Hicksville), after anchoring the men's distance medley relay (DMR) to a season-best time and 8th place finish, came back to run a PR in the 3,000 meter race that saw him place 7th among the state's best. The DMR personnel included senior KRIS LYONS (Vickery/Margaretta), Knezovich, sophomore CONNOR GULICK(St. Louisville/Utica) and Frost. In the women's 3,000 meters, sophomore ALEXIS CASH(Gaines, MI/Lake Fenton) came home in 9th, missing the points by a fraction of a second and coming within a second of breaking the school record she had set in the event in December.
"We saw superb efforts across the range of events in which we had athletes qualified," said Head Coach Karen Brandt, "And unfortunately also had athletes who succumbed to the pressure of this intense meet. We have great potential to see breakthrough performances this upcoming weekend at the HCAC Indoor Championship and very likely some podium steps there as well. It should be a great meet to end the season."
This year's HCAC championship meet will be hosted by Anderson University on Saturday, Feb. 17, in the Kardatzke Wellness Center. The facility opens at 11:30 with both track and field events commencing at 1 p.m.
-BEAVERS-