Track Tunes Up for All-Ohio

Oberlin's outdoor track team finally met with weather suitable for competition when they raced at home on Friday, April 14th. Unlike earlier meets, which were riddled with rain, sno, and wind, last week's meet was dominated by bright sun and a cool breeze. The great weather conditions and the enthusiastic crowd made for an exciting and successful meet for the Yeorunners.

"Its always nice to be at home because the athletes like to have the opportunity to be in front of friends and teachers which can be an advantage," said Head Coach Tom Mulligan. "However, being at home can also be a distraction. It's just personal preference."

Several athletes gave it their all and came away with first-place finishes rewarding their hard work. Junior David Bevacqua took first in the men's steeplechase, thanks to his skillful handling of the treacherous water pit. Also taking first was junior Andre Street, who bested 11 opponents in the 800m run.

In other sprint events, the men's 4x100m relay team took second. In the 200m dash, first-year Tim Salazar took fifth, followed by his teammates first-year Steffon Thomas (ninth) and sophomore Rob Stephens (tenth). In the 100m dash, Salazar sped to fifth, while Thomas took ninth. Also scoring in the 800m run was first-year middle distance runner Michael Severino, who took fifth.

Junior co-captain Zach Rudisin continues to recover from a partially separated achilles tendon that has severely limited his strength, stamina and the number of races he has competed in. Rudisin only ran the 400m Friday, taking eighth and saving his energy for the All-Ohio meet on April 22nd.

In distance events, junior co-captain Daniel Schwartz was fourth in the steeplechase, while first-year Erik Ludlow-Mallea ran to seventh place in the grueling 5000m run. In the discus, sophomore co-captain Daniel Blackburn placed sixth, while first-year Thomas Yarmolinsky finished eighth. The two placed fifth and eighth, respectively, in the shotput.

The women enjoyed another strong showing. First-year Courtney Stackhouse nailed her events taking first in both the 100m and 200m dash. Junior Liz Chandler was close on her heels, taking second in the 200m dash. First-year Jaimee Ramsden took first in the arduous steeplechase.

Sophomore Anna Ruth gave an outstanding performance in her events, scoring second in the long jump, third in the high jump, and fourth in the 100m hurdles and 800m run. Senior Kate O'Brien soared to second in the pole vault and triple jump and also took fourth in the high jump. Senior Katy Durham-Hammer took second in javelin, while senior co-captain Medora Lytle scored third in the always-challenging 5000m run. Sophomore Angie Martin took third in the 1500m run.

"We are hoping to have all the women healthy and ready to kick butt at the All-Ohio meet this Saturday," said senior co-captain Emily Lane. "This will be where we can see how we measure up to the rest of our conference." Lane has been out most of the season with injuries but has lent more than her share of support from the sidelines.

In the javelin, sophomores Vivian Ip and Gloria Adams took fifth and sixth, respectively. In the discus, Adams took sixth, Ip scored eighth and first-year Andrea Steiling came in ninth. The three also competed in shot put, with Adams taking sixth, Ip seventh and Steiling eighth. First-year Megan Lowery took sixth in the 5000m run, sophomore Adrian Anagnost took seventh and first-year Alice Cheong took ninth.

Both squads' performances brought them one step closer to the upcoming conference championships. Although many key team members, including sophomore Nzinga Broussard, the reigning conference champ in both the 100m and 200m dashes, did not compete due to health reasons, the teams are well on their ways to being strong competitors at their most important meets.

"We are all working toward a goal together, and that gives us a better sense of being a team," said Thomas.

With their great accomplishments at home, the Yeomen and women are looking forward to dominating the competition at the Division III All-Ohio meet at Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday, April 22.

The meet includes teams from all three NCAA divisions. "This will be a higher profile meet with more teams and better competition. It is important for us to go down there and compete hard both mentally and physically," said Mulligan.