TIffin, Ohio – The Wittenberg University Track & Field teams were in action on Saturday afternoon at the Tiffelberg Open in northwest Ohio, a meet co-hosted by NCAA Div. II member Tiffin University and Div. III member Heidelberg University. The Wittenberg women's team posted eight total top-eight finishes to finish sixth out of 11 total teams with 41 points, while the men's team picked up 18 team points to finish 10 overall in the final standings. Host Tiffin won the team title in both genders, scoring 191 points in the women's competition and 278 on the men's side.
On the men's side, senior Charles Rodeheffer posted the Tigers' top individual effort on the day as he finished fourth out of 31 total runners in the men's 5,000-meter run with a time of 15:49.05. Classmate Kyle Farnbauch was also a top-eight finisher as he placed seventh out of 18 competitors in the 110-meter hurdles with a season-best time of 15.30 seconds. Freshman Jack Chambers was the only other Wittenberg men's athlete to post a top-eight finish on the day as he finished 8th out of 31 runners in the 800-meter run with another season-best time of 2:00.79. In addition to the three individual athletes, the Tigers finished in the top-eight in both relay events, placing fourth in the 4x400 with a time of 3:25.73 and sixth overall in the 4x100 in 43.67 seconds.
The Tigers had a pair of athletes post top-three performances in the women's competition, while the women's 4x400 meter relay team also finished third overall with a time of 4:07.20. Individually, sophomore Alexis Johnson placed third in the triple jump with a combined leap of 10.28 meters, while classmate Hannah Eley placed third in the hammer throw with a season-best toss of 44.03 meters. Two more female athletes posted fifth-place finishes in an individual event, including freshman Annalee Lynn in the 1,500-meter run with a season-best time of 5:07.16, and sophomore Taylor Barnhisel in the javelin competition with a season-best heave of 29.48 meters. Sophomore Ryelee Clary, who entered the weekend with the NCAC's top time in the 100-hurdles at 15.98 seconds, improved upon her time on Saturday by finishing sixth overall in 15.67, while freshman Lauren Welker also finished sixth in the women's 800-meter run with a season-best time of 2:28.22. In addition, the Tigers' 4x100-meter relay team finished fourth overall after stopping the clock in 50.85 seconds.
While the majority of the team is off for the rest of the weekend, sophomore Zach Guyer and freshman Stevie Plikerd will wrap up competition tomorrow in New Concord, Ohio, at the 2019 All-Ohio Multi-Events Championships. The entire squad will then travel to Delaware, Ohio, next Saturday (4/13) for the annual All-Ohio Championships, hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University inside historic Selby Stadium.