Track and Field Teams’ Added Depth Paying Off
BY BRIAN PITTS

The track and field team continued to build momentum toward the important midseason All-Ohio meet in two weeks, led by strong overall performances against conference rivals Wooster and Denison at the Wooster Open last Saturday. The meet also included competitors from Cuyahoga Community College and Kenyon College.
The story for Oberlin in last weekend’s meet were the jumpers, but the whole team — sprinters, distance runners and throwers — turned in solid showings in the non-scoring event.
On the women’s side, senior Liz Chandler, junior Apryl Wynn and first-year Shannon Houlihan swept the long jump. The trio also grabbed the top three spots in the triple jump with indoor national-qualifier Houlihan followed by Wynn and Chandler.
First-year Alisha Thomas broke the 100 foot mark in the javelin, which was good enough to earn her first place by more than four feet. Thomas, who hopes to break 110 feet by the conference championships, appears to be ahead of schedule, well on her way to earning Oberlin points in the NCAC.
Sophomore sprinter Courtney Stackhouse registered close second place finishes in the 100m and 200m dashes. Stackhouse, last year’s NCAC champion in both events, missed first in the 100 by two-tenths of a second. Stackhouse also anchored Oberlin’s third-place 4x100m-relay squad of Wynn, Thomas and junior Nzinga Broussard.
Sophomore Chi Chi Ndubisi and senior Mary Margaret Towey competed in the shot put and discus throw. They logged throws that earned them second and third places respectively. The pair flipped-flopped with eight and seventh place finishes in the discus.
“It wasn’t my best, but it was a pretty good throw,” Ndubisi said. “I feel pretty strong. It think right now it’s just about polishing my technique for outdoor [championships].” Ndubisi credited throws coach Ron Greer with helping the entire throwing unit improve on its technique.
Sophomores Laura Feeney and Lori Tuchfield each ran the 1500m race, finishing second and third at times of 5:11.9 and 5:15 respectively. Tuchfeld, second in last year’s 5K championship, took fourth in the 800m dash.
On the men’s side, senior Jabari Spruill led Oberlin by winning the triple jump and placing third in the long jump. Sophomore Simon Spaid took fourth in the high jump. Sophomores Steffon Thomas and Jeremy Lane competed in the long and triple jump, respectively. 
In the longer speed races, junior Andre Street returned to competition and placed fourth in a close 800m race. Street won the event at last year’s conference championship. Lane beat the Denison and Wooster competition in placing second in the grueling 400m high hurdles. 
Senior long distance leader David Bevacqua also returned to competition for the first time since the indoor season in the 3000m steeplechase. Despite an off race where he said “just about everything went wrong in pre-race preparations,” Bevacqua is confident about his chances of repeating as conference champion in the steeplechase. 
“I feel really good right now. I feel really strong and fast and feel I have some really strong competition to run with which will hopefully push me under the national qualifying time, which is my goal.”
Bevacqua said the rest of the team is ready as well. “We’ve got much more depth than we’ve ever had since I’ve been here.”
“We’ve got a couple of pretty fast freshmen from the football team. Jabari is jumping as a senior which is great. Our throwers have been doing well — [junior Dan Blackburn]’s been throwing very well.”
For the first time in at least four years, Oberlin is fielding men in the javelin. Junior Greg Wells took third, clearing the 133 foot mark. Blackburn injured himself prior to the meet and placed seventh.
Both the men and the women will host Wooster, Case Western and Hiram today in a four-team battle at Dill Field. Events start at 5 p.m.
“We’re looking forward to having a good meet,” Blackburn said. This year’s squad is one to come out and watch, he added. “We definitely have the potential to score points at conference championships easily.”