May 3, 2010
By: Jordan Hill, sports information assistant

CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Bluffton University track and field teams competed in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships hosted by the College of Mount St. Joseph. The men finished seventh overall and the women placed eighth. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology took first on the men's side while Franklin College won on the women's.

Highlighting the men's side was senior JASON FISHER (Rockford/Parkway), who was named HCAC Field Athlete of the Year. Fisher placed first in the shot put with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 52-07.25 and he was also victorious in the hammer (168-03). He placed fourth in the discus (150-08) and seventh in javelin (155-06) for a total of 27 points. Fisher, who was the 2007 Male Freshman Field Athlete of the Year, has earned All-HCAC honors each of his four years at Bluffton.

Also leading the men was senior ROBERT JOHNSON (Columbus/Marion Franklin), who placed second in the 100m dash (11.13) and fourth in the 200m dash (22.93). Bluffton's 4x100 relay team of Johnson, junior MICHAEL TIMPE (Swanton), sophomore KEVIN HICKMAN(Centerburg) and freshman JOSH FISHER (Rockford/Parkway) placed fifth with a time of 45.0. The 4x400 relay team of Johnson, Timpe, Hickman, and Fisher placed seventh with a time of 3:29.72.

Highlighting on the women's side was sophomore MEGAN NEAL (Arlington), who placed first in the hammer throw (142-06) and third in javelin (105-10).

Also leading the women was freshman DELYLAH KUBITZ (Ashtabula/Edgewood), who placed third in discus (113-05) and eighth in shot put (34-00.75) Sophomore HEATHER SMITH(Elkhart, Ind./Concord) placed fifth in the steeplechase (13:05.23), and the women's 4x100 relay team of senior DONELLE PARKER ( Painesville/Thomas W. Harvey ), senior SARAH BINKLEY(Bluffton/Cory-Rawson), junior MEGAN KOCH (Elida) and freshman ELIZABETH BROWN(Edon) placed sixth with a time of 54.08.

-BEAVERS-