Tracksters hold their own against Wooster

Tracksters gear up for the All-Ohio meet this weekend

The Oberlin women's track team has a racket in the javelin.

The women swept the javelin, with sophomore Katy Durham-Hammer placing first in her second ever attempt in competition. She was followed by her teammates first-year Mary Towey and sophomore Christiana Nwofor, placing second and third.

In other events, the women's team faced some pretty even competition, placing in nearly every event.

Sophomore Medora Lytle continued the team's history of record-breaking by breaking the school record in the steeplechase and placing second in the event. The steeplechase is 9.5 laps around the track, and each lap has four barriers and one water jump.

Unable to compete the previous week due to her work on her honors project, senior Trista Thornberry returned on Friday to place first in the 1500 meter race and the 800 meter race.

Sophomore Elizabeth Chandler placed second in the 200 meter open with a time of 26.6 seconds, which Mulligan called "a very competitive time."

Chandler also helped bring the 400 meter relay team to a second place finish, joined by Nwofor, sophomore Nicole James, and junior Amie Ely. Ely and Chandler also placed second and fourth respectively in the long jump with their best jumps of the season.

In her first ever competitive attempt in the 400 hurdles, junior Cindy Lai finished fourth. Mulligan said that he has every reason to believe that she is going to get much better. "I think she's going to surprise some people in a few weeks," he said.

While the women's team was tossing out records, the men's track team took on this year's men's indoor track champions, the College of Wooster.

Head Coach Thomas Mulligan called the meet a little bit of a mismatch on the men's side. "We're just not in a position as a team to compete with them," he said.

Despite their disadvantage, the men's team did put forth some excellent performances. Junior Gil Saenz won the 400 meter hurdles, beating Scott Walker of Wooster, who is ranked first in the conference. Senior Steve Jackson won the 200 meter open race and came in third in the 100 meter open. First-year John Rogers won the 5000 meter open, and junior Jason Cunningham finished second in the discus and fifth in the shotput while ignoring nagging injuries.

This weekend the Oberlin track team will journey to Ohio Wesleyan University to compete in the All-Ohio meet against the other 17 Division III teams in Ohio. Mulligan sees this meet as a preface to the championship meet at the end of April. "It's important for us to be in a championship environment," he said, emphasizing that the competition will be stiff.

"Everyone is improving," he added. "We're on the right track, no pun intended."

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No contact: A Yeowoman concentrates as she glides over the bar of the high jump.
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Over the top: A Yeoman practices his hurdles during practice. Last Friday, junior Gil Saenz won the 400 meter hurdles.