Alissa Goble
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg men's and women's track and field teams are nearing the end of the 2006 indoor season, and in the last few weeks the Tigers have picked up some outstanding performances in preparation for next week's North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet at Denison University.
Most recently, the Tigers competed as a split squad in back-to-back meets at Ohio Northern on Friday and Saturday. Most of the team competed at the ONU Invitational on Friday, while others who had qualifying times or marks for Saturday's All-Ohio Invitational competed then. Ten athletes competed in individual events in the All-Ohio and seven others participated in relay events at the competition, the most ever for the Tiger indoor track and field program.
The highlights on Friday for the Tiger men were provided by sophomore D.J. Hlovchiec (Loveland, Ohio/Moeller), who set a school record with a mark of 14-0 in the pole vault, which was good for second place, and freshman Mark King (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis), who established a personal best time in the 400 meters as he finished second with a time of 53.22. In addition, the 800-meter relay quartet of junior Ross Ballinger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mariemont), sophomore Desmond Braziel (Brook Park, Ohio/West Springfield (Va.)), senior Will Block (Troy, Ohio/Troy) and freshman Luke Smith (Galion, Ohio/Northmor) captured second place in a time of 1:40.35.
Rounding things out, sophomore David Wallingford (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue) claimed third place in the 5,000 meters in a time of 17:18.85.
For Hlovchiec, it was another outstanding performance in a season that seems to be building toward something very positive. Two weeks earlier, Hlovchiec combined with junior Tim Lovett (Jeffersonville, Ohio/Miami Trace) to garner Wittenberg's lone first-place finish in the annual NCAC Relays at Denison. Hlovchiec had the best jump of the meet at 13-6, and the tandem shared NCAC Field Events Athlete of the Week honors.
On the women's side, sophomore Hannah Holmes (LaGrange Park, Ill./Lyons Township) placed third in the long jump with a mark of 14-7.5, sophomore Alissa Goble (Sunfield, Mich./Lakewood) placed third in the pole vault with a personal best of 8-6 and sophomore Allison Walker (Columbus, Ohio/Academy) took the Tigers' lone first-place finish in the meet, picking up a personal best of 34-11.75 in the 20-pound weight throw. She added a third place in the shot put with a mark of 32-4.25.
On Saturday, the Tigers placed eighth in the men's All-Ohio competition and 10th in the women's All-Ohio competition, which included 16 of the best NCAA Division III programs in the state.
For the women, the highlight was turned in once again by sophomore Nicole Bailey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day), who captured first place in the 55 meters with a time of 7.46, second in the triple jump with a mark of 34-0.75 and eighth in the long jump. Bailey, the NCAC Indoor champion and an NCAA Division III provisional qualifier in the 55 meters in 2005, is unbeaten against Division III runners so far this year.
For her efforts, Bailey was named NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week for the second time this season.
The men were paced by senior Gregg Carter (Wellsville, Ohio/Wellsville), who placed third in the 55 meters with a personal best time of 6.61, second in the long jump with a personal best mark of 22-8.5, which was just one inch off the NCAA Division III provisional qualifying standard. He also was a member of a sixth place 800-meter relay team.
In addition, senior Thomas Dillingham (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) placed third in the 35-pound weight throw with a personal best mark of 48-4.5 and freshman Erik Larkin (Cincinnati, Ohio/Country Day) claimed a third in the triple jump with a mark of 42-0.75.
Dillingham was named NCAC Field Events Athlete of the Week and Carter earned NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week for the second time this season.