By: Brandy Bidlack, sports information assistant
April 27, 2008
ANDERSON, Ind. - The Bluffton University track and field team traveled to Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana, to compete at the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday, April 26, 2008. Rose-Hulman ended Anderson's 13-year reign as men's team champions. The Ravens did, however, pick up their fourth consecutive title on the women's side.
ASHLEY SMITH (Delta/Delta) picked up a first place medal in the 400 meter dash with a personal record of 1:00.84. With the victory in the 400 meters, Smith was named All-HCAC for 2008. She also took fourth in the long jump (15-07.75) and sixth in the 200 meter dash (27.88 seconds) to accumulate 18 individual points for the Beavers.
SARAH HUMPHREY (Upper Sandusky/Upper Sandusky) also excelled, placing third in the 5,000 meter run (18:51.73) and fourth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 12:20.26. Humphrey capped her superb career at Bluffton by knocking six seconds off her school record in the steeplechase and also shaving nearly 30 seconds off her previous best in the 5,000 meters.
MEGAN KOCH (Elida/Elida) collected five points with a fourth place finish in the 400 meter dash (1:02.21). Koch set a new personal record in the 400 meters.
The women's squad received the bronze with a third place showing in the 4x100 meter relay. The team, consisting of MEGAN FORQUER (North Canton/Green), SARAH BINKLEY(Bluffton/Cory-Rawson), Koch, and Smith, ran the relay in 52.83 seconds. The 4x400 meter relay team, including Koch, Binkley, Smith, and Humphrey, finished fifth (4:24.17) for four points.
KARYN DAVIS (Liberty Center/Liberty Center) placed seventh in the shot put (36-01.50) and freshman PAIGE CORESSEL (Wauseon/Wauseon) took sixth in the javelin with a PR throw of 90-10. The women's squad placed 7th out of 8 teams with 49 points.
JASON FISHER (Rockford/Parkway) won the discus with a throw of 148-05. Fisher took third in both the shot put, with a toss of 46-10.75, and the hammer, with a throw of 157-01. Fisher also finished seventh in the javelin (153-02), collecting 24 points for the Bluffton University men's track and field team. He set personal records in both the discus and hammer while being named All-HCAC following his victory in the discus.
REX BROWN (Wauseon/Pettisville) finished second in the javelin with a throw of 166-04. ROB JOHNSON (Columbus/Marion Franklin) grabbed the fifth spot in the 100 meter dash with a PR time of 11.34 seconds. COLLIN WAGNER (Pettisville/Pettisville) crossed the line fifth in the 800 meter run (2:03.54).
The men's team, consisting of Johnson, Brown, Wagner, and MICHAEL TIMPE(Swanton/Swanton), took fourth (3:29.54) in the 4x400 meter relay. STEVE HAVENS(Fremont/Lakota), Brown, Timpe, and Johnson finished the 4x100 meter relay sixth with a time of 45.61 seconds. The men's team finished 7th out of 8 teams with 46 points.
The Bluffton University track and field team returns to action when the Beavers travel to Ohio Northern to compete in the Joe Banks Invitational on Friday, May 2, 2008.
-BEAVERS-