Tigers Finish Strong At NCAC Indoor Championships

Chris Frierson (left) and Laike Wallace (right) made up half of the Tigers' all-conference 4x400-meter relay team. File Photo | Blake Nelson '17
Chris Frierson (left) and Laike Wallace (right) made up half of the Tigers' all-conference 4x400-meter relay team. File Photo | Blake Nelson '17

GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Wittenberg indoor track and field teams turned in a second-straight day of quality performances on their way to a fourth-place finish among nine men's teams and a fifth-place finish among eight women's teams.

Senior Victor Banjo (Sugarland, Texas/Stephen F. Austin) headlined the day with the Tigers' only conference title in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.88 seconds to tie his own NCAC championship meet and Mitchell Center records, set yesterday.

The women's 4x200-meter relay took second place on the efforts of freshman Aliyah Myers (McCordsville, Ind./Mt. Vernon), freshman Frankie Bowsher (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln), freshman Alaina Longshore (Columbus, Ohio/Franklin Heights) and sophomore Brea Medlock (Galena, Ohio/Big Walnut), who compiled a time of 1:45.10.

A number of third-place finishes awaited the Tigers today, starting with senior Angela Roll (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto), who turned in a height of 1.53 meters in the high jump. Sophomore Aaron Melsop (Westerville, Ohio/DeSales) was third in the long jump on a distance of 6.55 meters, junior Shelby Kaho (Sugar Grove, Ohio/Berne Union) placed third in the women's 60-meter hurdles on a time of 9.07 seconds, and sophomore Laike Wallace (Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington) was third in the men's 400-meter dash on a time of 50.44 seconds.

The other sprint relay teams all finished third. The men's 4x200 relay team of Banjo, senior Chris Frierson (Dallas, Texas/DeSoto), sophomore Justin Fisher (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and Melsop posted a time of 1:31.40. The men's 4x400 team of Frierson, freshman Cody Shutt (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson), Fisher and Wallace cruised in on a time of 3:27.85, and the women's 4x400 team of Bowsher, Longshore, sophomore Jordan Crow (North Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde), and Medlock finished in 4:404.90.

All third-place finishes and higher earn All-NCAC honors per conference policy.

Medlock also tacked on two strong point-scoring performances with fifth-place finishes in the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash.

The NCAA Division III track and field world now turns its attention to the national championship meet, scheduled for the University of Nebraska on Friday, March 14, and Saturday, March 15. The qualification lists will be released by the NCAA ahead of the event.

 

John Strawn '07