DEFIANCE, Ohio – It is still early in the season, but the Wittenberg men’s and women’s indoor track & field teams are showing promise, as evidenced by the second-place finishes of both teams at the Defiance College Invitational on Saturday.

The Tiger women finished with 89.5 points, behind Case Western Reserve and one point ahead of host Defiance. The men picked up 136.5 points, also finishing behind event-winner Case Western and ahead of third-place host Defiance.

For the women, freshman Brea Medlock (Galena, Ohio/Big Walnut) turned in a pair of impressive finishes with a win in the 400-meter dash, finishing in 1:02.79 for a full two-second victory, and she also placed third in the 200-meter dash on a time of 27.43.

Freshman Megan Bittinger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Christian) took first place in the 800-meter run with a final mark of 2:32.59. Sophomore Shelby Kaho (Sugar Grove, Ohio/Berne Union) assumed what seems to be her customary spot atop the list in the 60-meter hurdles by winning on a time of 9.38 seconds. She had backup in the event, as freshman Jordan Crow (North Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) finished in third on a time of 10.38.

Freshman Sarah Webb (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) chipped in a fourth-place finish in the 3000-meter run, a finish matched in the high jump by junior Angela Roll (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) and the 4x400-meter relay team of Medlock, Crow, senior Shawna Johnson (Uhrichsville, Ohio/Claymont) and freshman Lauren Morabito (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley). The same quartet won the 4x200-meter relay on a time of 1:52.49.

For the men, junior Victor Banjo (Sugarland, Texas/Stephen F. Austin) kept up his success in the 60-meter dash with a victory, finishing on a time of 7.07.

Wittenberg picked up three of the top five spots in the 200-meter dash, as junior Chris Frierson (Cedar Hill, Texas/DeSoto) finished second on a time of 23.81, followed by freshman Asanka Ekanayake (Clarksburg, Mo./Clarksburg) in third at 23.94 and freshman Daniel Emery (Blacklick, Ohio/New Albany) in fifth at 23.97.

Sophomore Justin Yates (Dayton, Ohio/Bellbrook) posted a victory in the 400-meter dash on a time of 51.42 and was followed closely by Frierson in third. Junior Jacob Kuntz (Versailles, Ky./Woodford County) had a strong day, taking third place in the mile on a time of 4:36.95 and seventh in the 800-meter run, and senior Trevor Grandy (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) also helped the distance effort in a big way by winning the 5,000-meter run, finishing in 16:03.10.

Freshman Laike Wallace (Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington Court House) claimed second place in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.82, and the Tigers picked up two strong field performances as well: Freshman Aaron Melsop (Westerville, Ohio/DeSales) won the long jump with a distance of 6.46 meters, and freshman Justin Fisher (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) took second in the triple jump at 12.77 meters.

The Tigers had strong relay performances as well, as Emery, Yates, Fisher and Frierson combined to win the 4x200-meter relay on a time of 1:33.50, and the quarter of Ekanayake, Frierson, Yates and Wallace won the 4x400-meter relay at 3:27.28.

The Tiger men and women are next scheduled to compete at the College of Wooster in the Fighting Scots Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 2.

John Strawn '07