Nicole Bailey
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg men's and women's track and field teams ran well in their second meet of the 2006 indoor season, take fifth and eighth place respectively at the Marietta Invitational. The meet consisted mostly of scholarship programs from NCAA Division I and II and NAIA. The Tigers finished first among NCAA Division III programs in the men's competition and second in the women's meet.
In the 12-team men's meet, the Tigers were led for a second straight week by senior Gregg Carter (Wellsville, Ohio/Wellsville). The NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week, Carter placed second in the long jump with a mark of 21-11.75, third in the 200 meters in 23.12 and seventh in the 55 meters in 6.67.
Even more impressive may have been the performance turned in by freshman Erik Larkin (Cincinnati, Ohio/Country Day), who placed first in the triple jump with a mark of 42-11, sixth in the high jump with a mark of 6-0 and seventh in the long jump at 20-1.75. Amazingly, this was the first meet in which Larkin had ever competed in the triple jump.
Also of note, sophomore Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North) took fourth in the 800 meters, freshman Mark King (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) added a fifth in the 400 meters, freshman Manoach Lamarre (Miami, Fla./Bellen Jesuit) placed fifth in the triple jump, senior Thomas Dillingham (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) finished fourth in the weight throw with a personal-best mark of 48-2.5 and junior Andy Karcher (Oceola, Ohio/Bucyrus Wynford) rounded things out with a sixth in the weight throw with a personal-best of 45-4.25.
On the women's side, Wittenberg highlights in the 13-team meet were provided individually by sophomore Nicole Bailey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day) and freshman Katie Shoemaker (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe).
Bailey finished first in the 55 meters in a time of 7.47, first in the triple jump with a mark of 35-1.75 and third in the long jump with a mark of 16-2.5. She earned NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week for her exploits.
Shoemaker placed second in the 400 meters in 1:04.73 and fifth in the 200 meters in 27.97. Rounding things out, the distance medley relay team of freshmen Jessica Rizzo (Benningtor, Ind./South Dearborn), Dana Reamsnyder (Eden Prairie, Minn./Prairie), Allison Macke (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) and Abby McCutcheon (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) captured a respectable fifth place with a time of 14:36.36.
The Tigers get right back into it this week at the annual North Coast Athletic Conference Relays, hosted by Denison. While this is not a traditionally formatted meet, it does give all of the conference schools an early look at the competition they will face in both the indoor and outdoor championship meets still to come this season.