February 18, 2008
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Bluffton University track and field teams traveled to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to compete in the Hoosier/Buckeye meet against the best teams in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference on Saturday, February 16, 2008. The Beavers placed seventh out of eight in both the men's and women's events. The women took down Hanover while the men placed above Defiance for their first victories of the year.
Placing in four events to lead the women was junior ASHLEY SMITH (Delta/Delta) who picked up 17 points in individual events. She also helped the 4X400 relay team to a fifth place finish and four points with a time of 4:32.98. Smith was joined on the relay by sophomore SARAH BINKLEY (Bluffton/Cory-Rawson), freshman MEGAN KOCH (Elida/Elida) and senior SARAH HUMPHREY (Upper Sandusky/Upper Sandusky). Smith's best finish came in the long jump as she went 15-02.75 feet for second place and eight points. She placed fifth in the 200 meter dash (28.83 seconds) and sixth in the 400 meter dash (1:05.29).
Sarah Humphrey collected the lone first place finish for the Beavers with her victory in the 5000 meters (19:13.94). Finishing just ahead of Smith in the 200 meter dash was Megan Koch who scored five points with her time of 28.59 seconds. Tacking on seven points in the field events was KARYN DAVIS (Liberty Center/Liberty Center). She placed fifth in the weight throw (38-07.50) and sixth in the shot put (33-04.50).
The men were led by sophomore JASON FISHER (Rockford/Parkway) who placed second in the weight throw (43-10.50) and fifth in the shot put (43-09.00) for a total of 12 points. Also adding to Bluffton's point total in the field events was freshman AARON WLADISCHKIN (Sterling Heights, Mich/Sterling Heights) who had a toss of 37-06.00 for a point in the weight throw. MICHAEL TIMPE (Swanton/Swanton) placed eighth in the triple jump (35-06.00).
In the 55 meter dash, the Beavers finished with two sprinters in the top eight. Freshmen ZACH KERBER (Lima/Elida) and STEVE HAVENS (Fremont/Lakota) placed sixth and eighth, respectively, with times of 9.44 seconds and 10.51 seconds. The 4x400 meter relay squad chipped in four points following its fifth place finish (3:40.45). Members of the 4x400 team included TYLER FAIRCHILD (Toledo/Whitmer), BEN ALTHAUS (Delhi, NY/Delaware Academy), REX BROWN (Wauseon/Pettisville) and Michael Timpe. The men's distance medley team took sixth for a total of three points. Members of the medley included PETE HUSTED(Carrollton/Carrollton) BEN SIEBERT (Celina/Celina) BRIAN TIMPE (Wauseon/Pike-Delta-York) and HILLARY SHILOSIO (Eldoret, Kenya).
Bluffton returns to action on Friday, February 22, 2008, when the Beavers travel to Ohio Northern for the final installment of the Friday Night Series Meets. The contest is slated to start at 5:30 p.m.
-BEAVERS-