Indoor Track Meet Yields Promising Results
Ryan Daine
Last Friday night’s exhibition at DePauw University yielded a fourth and fifth-place finish for both the men and women’s indoor track team, within a field of 12 other schools. The results were reflective of a great night of running, as an unprecedented 49 personal best records were shattered, with the men’s team putting up a total of 59 scored points, securing a fourth-place finish over Union College. On the other side of the infield, the women’s team were able to achieve an 81.5 scored points, barely edging out Union to secure a solid fifth-place finish.
Highlights from the matchup include senior Sam Barnard, who was able to finish second in the field with a mile time of 4:26 and walk away with a new personal best time. The 3,000-meter event also marked strong results, as senior Daniel Baker placed third with a time of 15:44, along with first year Enrique Salazar, who placed fourth overall and set a new personal best for the event.
The field proved to be a productive area for the men’s team as well, with highlights from seniors Paul Dieringer and Justin Meredith in the pole vault and triple jump events. Junior Brian Hochstetler was also able to put up big numbers and score a new personal best distance in the shot put event, as he muscled his way to a third-place finish, with a final scoring distance of 46 feet and two-and-a-half inches.
On the flip side, the women’s team carved out another very successful night for themselves in Greenwood, as high-placing finishes came right after the other, and personal bests after personal bests were broken in a whole flurry of events. Senior distance runner, Hannah Wappes secured a second-place overall finish in the 5,000-meter run, scoring a time of 19:11. Senior Emily Ewen was also able to put up a substantial time of 11:08 in the 3,000-meter run, earning her a respectable fourth-place finish in the event. Rounding out the women’s distance events, Wappes returned with fellow senior Ana Acevedo, where both women took the number one and two spots in the mile run. Acevedo’s effort was a new personal best time, and also secured the sixth-best mile time in program history with a blazing 5:18 mile run.
The sole highlight from the middle-distance events came from sophomore Sydney Young, as she put up a strong time of 2:29 during her effort in the 800-meter event.
Rounding out the women’s running for the evening, first year Adelle Stanko shattered a previous personal best, as she flashed through the finish line of the 200-meter dash in 28.33 seconds, setting a new best for herself.
Field events for the women also revealed in similar success, as the high-placing results seemed to keep spreading. First Year Kendall Garinger placed third in the high jump event, clearing a height of 1.45 meters. Garinger also went on to place well in both the long and triple jump events, with results that set well established new personal bests in both areas. Stanko also had an excellent night in the field, as she leaped to a personal best long jump distance of 4.86 meters for her efforts. Senior Bella Case, along with Junior Meagan Trimpey tied for second in the pole vault event, after both women cleared a height of 2.75 meters, rounding out a great night for both teams down at DePauw.
Manchester University men and women indoor track action will continue, as the team is just now entering the thick of the season, with plenty more events to come in the following weeks. Because of MU’s lack of an indoor track, the teams must travel far and wide to each event but make no mistake; they are all supported back here at home, and by those who make the journey themselves to witness the spectacle of racing.
The teams will return to DePauw next weekend for the DePauw Indoor Invitational.