Tim Gaal
The Tiger men's and women's track and field teams finished the
2003 seasons strong last weekend at the NCAC Championships at Ohio
Wesleyan. The men, the defending team champion, finished second,
just 17 points behind Allegheny in what became an intriguing
two-team race for the title. The women were one of four teams that
separated from the pack in the race for that team title and wound
up fourth, just five points out of third place.
The highlights of the meet were many as eight Wittenberg athletes
claimed individual championships. Eight different men earned
All-NCAC finishes, not including relays, and five different women
were named All-NCAC, again not including relays.
Junior Tim Gaal (Amanda, Ohio/Clearcreek) was the
biggest individual story for Wittenberg as he earned NCAC Field
Events Athlete of the Year for finishing first in the decathlon and
javelin, third in the long jump, sixth in the high jump and eighth
in the pole vault. He is an NCAA provisional qualifier in the
decathlon and javelin, an event in which he placed 11th in the
nation a year ago.
Junior Skip Ivery (Columbus,
Ohio/Groveport-Madison) extended his dominance in the high
hurdles events, winning his third straight NCAC outdoor 110-meter
hurdles championship. He also has two NCAC indoor 55-meter hurdles
championships and finished second in the nation in that event in
March. He is an NCAA provisional qualifier.
Other individual champions on the men's side were senior
Curtis Lundgren (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) in the
800 meters, junior Joel Drake (Springfield,
Ohio/Shawnee) in the discus and sophomore Joe
Rumschlag (Maumee, Ohio/Toledo Christian) in the long
jump. Making All-NCAC, which is based on a top-three finish, were
Drake with a second place in the shot put, freshman Jered
Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown), who claimed third in
the 200 meters and third in the triple jump, sophomore
Clyde Mayer (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson), who placed
third in the discus, and sophomore Jason Toman (Greenville,
Ohio/Greenville) with a second place in the 400-meter
hurdles.
In addition, the 400-meter relay quartet of freshman David
Bazzel (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe), junior
Demetrius Ellison (Cleveland, Ohio/Trinity),
senior Mark Trempe (Springfield, Ohio/St. Paris
Graham) and Ivery finished second and the 1600-meter relay
foursome of Lundgren, Trempe, Ellison and sophomore Chad
Kresser (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) finished third.
On the women's side, junior Kristen Mumper (Cincinnati,
Ohio/Purcell Marian) finished first in the triple jump and
third in the long jump to claim a pair of All-NCAC awards, junior
Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) claimed
second in the heptathlon and third in the javelin, senior
Amanda Young (London, Ohio/London) finished first
in the high jump, senior Abi Gerstle (Kettering,
Ohio/Fairmont) turned in a school-record time of 11:40.19
in finishing second in the 3000-meter steeplechase, junior
Kelly Zilli (Dayton, Ohio/Alter) finished first in
the 800 meters and sophomore Ayisha Kinamore (Cincinnati,
Ohio/Colerain) was second in the 400-meter hurdles.
In addition, the 400-meter relay quartet of sophomore Tina
Valerius (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame), sophomore
Marissa Davoll (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson), Mumper
and Kinamore took third place to gain All-NCAC honors. The
1600-meter relay foursome of freshman Anna Finkelstein
(Whitehall, Mich./Reeths-Puffer), Davoll, Valerius and
Zilli finished second.
Next: 5/12-13 @ Baldwin-Wallace
5/16 @ Baldwin-Wallace
5/22-24 NCAA Division III Championships