Track Qualifies Relay, Sprinter for NCAA Nationals

Anna Ruth Takes Second at Multi-Event Meet

The Yeorunners gained valuable experience and mental toughness when they competed at the Baldwin-Wallace Invitational last Saturday. The most exciting news of the weekend was that first-year sprinter Courtney Stackhouse and the women's 4x100 relay team were national qualifiers. Stackhouse qualified in the 100m dash with a time of 12.28. The 4x100 relay team, consisting of sophomores Nzinga Broussard and Apryl Wynn, junior Liz Chandler and Stackhouse, also broke the Oberlin College record with a time of 48.49. Both Stackhouse and the relay team are currently ranked 10th in the nation.

"Everyone on our team has worked very hard and I am sure that we will be rewarded for our efforts," said Wynn.

Many other Oberlin competitors brought all the right stuff to last weekend's meet and several broke personal records. Senior jumper Kate O'Brien broke the Oberlin College Record in pole vault with a height of 8'0", taking 12 at the Invitational. O'Brien had held the previous record as well.

"We have strong performers throughout our lineup and it will be a total team effort that's going to carry us to success," said Head Coach Tom Mulligan.

While many members of the teams were competing at Baldwin-Wallace, sophomore Anna Ruth went to the NCAC Combined Events Championships at Wooster to compete in the heptathalon. Her skillful performances and powerful determination helped her to snatch second place in the competition.

"It was one of the most intense things I've done at Oberlin," said Ruth. "Even though I was the only participant this weekend, I didn't feel alone. Throughout the season the team has been a great support network and just because they weren't physically there, it didn't mean that they weren't behind me all the way."

"Anna's performance was an outstanding effort," said Mulligan. "The heptathalon is really challenging and more mentally demanding than people realize."

Ruth's performance has set the women's team up with a great start in the NCAC Championships this coming weekend.

"It was definitely a good way to get the conference meet started. Even though my seven events only count for one event in the big picture, it feels good to go into this weekend with eight points for the team in the bag," said Ruth.

In the Invitational at Baldwin-Wallace, Chandler took a strong six in the long jump. Shot put competitors first-year Chinyelu Ndubisi, first-year Andrea Steiling and sophomore Vivian Ip, took 37, 42 and 43, respectively. In discus throw, sophomore Gloria Adams took 37, Steiling 38 and Ip fouled. Ip took 20 in javelin throw, followed by Adams with 23.

In the 400m dash, first-year Vicki Alla took 20 and sophomore Kate Leddington scored 27. In the grueling 1500m run, sophomore Angie Martin made 29. Wynn competed in the 100m High Hurdles Finals while Broussard and senior Christiana Nwofor competed in the 100m dash finals. Their excellent times, however, did not qualify them for nationals.

In the men's competitions, junior runner Andre Street took 21 in the 800m run with teammate first-year Michael Severino following in 51. Junior co-captain Daniel Schwartz snagged 22 in the challenging 3000m steeplechase. Sophomore co-captain Daniel Blackburn and first-year David Yarmolinsky competed in the shot put, javelin throw and discus. Blackburn took 27 in shot put with Yarmolinsky taking 35. In javelin throw, Blackburn scored 39 and Yarmolinsky followed close behind in 40. Blackburn snagged 35 in discus and Yarmolinsky grabbed 42. Junior sprinter Tim Salazar and first-year sprinter Steffon Thomas competed in the 100m dash Finals but did not qualify.

"The team this year has sacrificed and worked hard through pain and injury," said Salazar.

The satisfying performances of last weekend will certainly help to motivate the teams when they compete in the NCAC Championships at Ohio Wesleyan University this Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6.

"I am compacting my energy into a tiny neutron bomb that will explode once the gun goes off for the 10K on Friday," said enthusiastic junior distance runner Jenni Huelsman.

"Our training has been consistent and consistently incredible; we've all been eating well and getting lots of sleep; but what it really all comes down to is this: we're ready to open a six-pack of frothy agony all over those bums in the NCAC. I sure hope they're thirsty," said junior distance runner John Rogers.

As far as last minute preparation goes, both Mulligan and Distance Coach Roger Laushman agree that the methods used to reach the goal are most important. "It is the daily and weekly preparation that is the most satisfying; and seeing the progress. This weekend will be exciting, both for individual events, and for the women in the team competition, as they just seem to get better every week," said Laushman.

"The key this week is keeping everything in perspective and focusing on the process will help relieve some of the anxiety," said Mulligan.

Luckily these athletes will be too busy dominating their events to worry about anxiety.