By Derek Stanley and Tim Stried
January 28, 2002
FINDLAY, OH - The Bluffton College track and field team competed at the two-day Alltel Track and Field Classic on Jan. 25-26 hosted by the University of Findlay. The meet host over 100 teams with 1,500 competitors involved in the meet.
"The team is coming along quite nicely, I feel," said Head Coach Derek Stanley. "I am impressed with my kids performances this weekend!"
On Friday night BC competed in the weight throw and the 5000m race. In the weight throw Travis Lepley heaved the 35 lb. weight 29' 2.75" and Kevin Foster threw it 24-11.75. On the women's side Michelle Bailey launched the 20 lb. weight 36-6.75. In the 5000m run, Rachael Szydlowski posted a personal-record of 21:44, beating her previous PR by six seconds. Steve Borga also ran the 5000m race and posted his career best of 17:26.
Saturday was more of the same strong performances for the Beavers. In the 55m dash, Adam Super led the way for the men by posting a time of 6.90 in his heat of the race. Also running well were Troy Baumer (6.93), Jason Lehman (6.96), Ryan Nusbaum (6.96), and Aaron Pfleiderer (7.60). Baumer, Nusbaum, and Pfliederer came back in the 200m dash running 24.15, 24.22, and 29.66, respectively. Four BC athletes competed in the 400m dash as Lehman, Super, Trevor Cupples, and Pfliederer ran respective times of 54.25, 56.80, 58.69, and 66.92. In the 600m dash, it was Chris Mackey running a 1:33.88 and Steve Borga, winning his heat, with a 1:34.19, and Cupples came back strong in the 1000m run with a 2:56.4.
Sunday also hosted field events, which has several Bluffton competitors. In the high jump, Mark Suter took 15th out of 29 competitors clearing 6-00.75. In the unseeded section of the pole vault, Clint Dillon finished 4th with a vault of 12-11.5. Finally, in the shot put, Kevin Ross threw a mark of 40-5 in his first meet back from injury. Lepley also threw well (38-3.25) along side Foster (31-6.75).
On the women's side, Jana Hammer competed in the 55m dash (8.11) as did Amanda Habegger (8.39). Katie Gwirtz had an excellent day in the Mile and 3000m run. She posted season best times of 6:00.83 and 12:00.18 in each of her respective races. Szydlowski also came back strong in the 3000 with her time of 12:27.66. Hammer and Habegger ran the 200m dash posting times of 29.14 and 29.62, respectively, as well as the 400m dash where Habegger got the better of the two running a 65.91 while Hammer finished with a 68.92. Also competing in the women's side in the running events was Rachel Noirot who ran the 1000m race and finished in 3:47.05. Finally, in the field events it was Michelle Bailey competing in the Shot Put heaving a throw of 31-9.25.
-BEAVERS-