It was a bittersweet moment for senior Oberlin track and field pole-vaulter Shean Perry as he faced the runway for the last home meet of his career. Something spectacular occurred Friday night at the Philips Fieldhouse as Oberlin students, athletes, coaches and parents clapped in unison for the two remaining vaulters left competing. Perry, senior captain, school record holder and former conference champion was tied for first place with Allegheny’s Erich Wittmer. He described the night as one to remember. “In the end I didn’t perform to my expectations. however, the support and love showed by my teammates meant more to me than any height I could have cleared. I will never forget that night and I could never have hoped for a better end to my athletic career at Oberlin.”

This home meet wasn’t the last for Perry alone; he was joined by Adam Morse, Daniel Keeney, Travis Grout, Robbie Tinker, Carmen Welton, Barrie Newberger, Hilary Close, Katie Au, Christine Castile and Rosemary Mudry as senior veterans of OC track and field. Prior to the start of the meet, head coach Jason Hudson recognized these outstanding individuals and wished them well in the next chapter of their lives.

The seniors and other members of the track and field team greatly appreciated the support from the audience. First-year school record holder in the mile, Maddy Davis- Hayes said, “The best thing about Friday’s track meet was the fans. It was great to see my friends filling up the bleachers when I turned the curve for the 4x400. I wish it hadn’t been the last home meet of the season because fans can really improve the team’s performance.”

“Improvement of performance” is just what OC track and field athletes and fans witnessed. On the women’s side there were four first place finishes. First year Flannery Cerbin in the 400-meter dash, first year Maddy Davis-Hayes in the 800-meter run, first year Nicky Ouellet in the mile, and the 4x400-meter relay consisting of senior Carmon Welton, Davis-Hayes, Ouellet and Cerbin all won their races.

On the men’s side, strong performances included senior Travis Grout with a third place finish in the 3000 meter run and sophomore Anthony Osei with a third place finish in the men’s long jump. Middle-distance and distance coach Ray Appenheimer enthusiastically commented on the wins. “What made Friday so enjoyable was watching our runners toward the front, competing for the win in so many races. That tenacious attitude is going to pay dividends for us at the conference meet this week.”

Head coach Jason Hudson puts it simply, “Athletics is about people winning, people losing and people coming together as a family.” Oberlin track and field definitely proved to be a family this past weekend. The athletes will use this as motivation and support as they tune themselves for the indoor conference championships held at Denison University March 3 and 4.