February 9, 2012
By: Jordan Hill, sports information assistant
 

BLUFFTON, Ohio - Seven Bluffton University track and field athletes will be competing in the ninth-annual Division III All-Ohio Indoor Championship on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2012. Only the top 16 athletes in individual events and the top 12 relay teams in the state are invited to compete in this elite championship meet. This will be the most athletes representing Bluffton University since 2005.

Senior thrower standout MEGAN NEAL (Arlington) will be competing in the weight throw. This will be her third Indoor All-Ohio Championship appearance in this event. She placed eighth in the field last year. Neal has already broken her own school record three times this season and her current record of 49-01.50 feet has her seeded fourth going into the meet.

Sophomore BRANDI DOMINIQUE (Wauseon) will compete in the 800-meter run and she is the first woman in school history to qualify in the event. She set the school record twice already this season and her current personal best of 2:28.06 has her seeded in the 15th spot. This is her first time competing in the indoor championship event.

Freshman TRAVAUN REAVES (Berkley, Mich.) will be making his All-Ohio Championship debut in the high jump. With a current mark of 6-00 feet, he is the first athlete from Bluffton to qualify in the high jump and is seeded 14th.

The women's distance medley relay team also qualified for the All-Ohio Championship for the first time in school history. The team of Dominique, sophomore KAYLA MULLENHOUR(Delphos/Jefferson), freshman CLAIRE MCCONNELL (Spencerville) and junior MADDIE MOORE (Linn Grove, Ind./South Adams) previously broke the school record this season with a time of 13:21.14 and is seeded 11th going into the meet. Dominique will lead off the relay, running 1200-meters, followed by Mullenhour who is running the 400-meter leg. McConnell handles the 800-meters and Moore will anchor the relay with a one-mile run.

When the field of athletes to compete in the meet was announced, first-year head coach Karen Brandt stated, "I'm both excited and honored to be taking this number of athletes to a championship meet of this caliber. They have worked hard to earn the right to be here and I know they will represent themselves and the University quite well."

Otterbein University will be hosting the event, with the women's distance medley relay schedule to begin at 12 PM, men's high jump at 2:15 PM, women's 800-meter run at 4:45 PM and women's weight throw at 5 PM.

-BEAVERS-