GREENCASTLE, Ind. – The Wittenberg men's and women's indoor track and field teams finished off an excellent weekend at the North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet on Saturday.
The men finished third among nine teams, their highest team finish since 2004, behind a number of banner finishes. The women finished fifth among eight teams and counted some outstanding individual finishes among the weekend's accomplishments.
Individually, the brightest highlights were undoubtedly supplied by junior Brea Medlock (Galena, Ohio/Big Walnut) and senior Victor Banjo (Sugarland, Texas/Stephen F. Austin), who were named the female and male NCAC Sprinters/Hurdlers of the Year, respectively. Medlock's award is the first indoor athlete of the year award for the Tiger women since Nicole Bailey in 2007.
Medlock won and qualified nationally in both the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash, posting school records in both events and a conference championship meet record in the 60-meter dash to boot. She ranks 17th in the nation in the 60 with her time of 7.76, and 14th in the 200 with a time of 25.55.
Banjo continued a great season with a victory in the 60-meter dash on a time of 6.94, making him a career three-time champion in the event. He also tacked on a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash on a time of 22.72.
Medlock also ran the starting leg of two all-conference relays, kicking off the second-place 4x200-meter relay which posted a time of 1:45.98, and opening the 4x400-meter relay for a final time of 4:06.60 and a third-place finish.
Medlock was joined on the 4x200 team by sophomore Alaina Longshore (Columbus, Ohio/Franklin Heights), junior Jordan Crow (North Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) and sophomore Frankie Bowsher (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln). On the 4x400 team, Medlock led Longshore, Bowsher and senior Jeanette Klamfoth (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley).
Also for the women, junior Becah Delp (York, Pa./Eastern York) snagged all-conference honors in the high jump with a height of 1.53 meters. Freshman Anissa Dann (Hiram, Maine/Sacopee Valley) also had a big day with a personal record of 11.29 meters in the weight throw.
Senior Justin Yates (Dayton, Ohio/Bellbrook) had an impressive day with a victory in the 400-meter dash on a time of 49.79. He also ran the lead leg of the third-place 4x400-meter relay, joined by senior Adam Kapuscinski (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore), senior Austin Butler (Carroll, Ohio/Bloom Carroll) and sophomore Cody Shutt (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) for a time of 3:29.91.
Kapuscinski scored second-place on his own in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:58.55.
Junior Aaron Melsop (Westerville, Ohio/DeSales) leapt 6.61 meters in the long jump for third place honors to round out the all-conference performances for the day.
Senior Anthony Williams (Saxonburg, Pennsylvania/Knoch Jr Sr) posted a personal record in the weight throw at 12.76 meters, and junior Daniel Mason (Springfield, Ohio/Greenon) also PR'ed in the shot put at 12.04 meters.
Any Tigers invited to the NCAA Division III national meet, which may include Brea Medlock and several other Tigers, would travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., for the two-day event beginning this Friday, March 13.
John Strawn '07