Track team has good meet

Many strong individual performances

Compared with last year's home tornado-stricken home meet, the April 11 women's and men's outdoor track and field meet was a welcome change of pace. The unscored meet against Wooster and West Virginia's Wheeling Jesuits saw the Yeomen and women walk away with several personal records (PRs) and optimism looking toward the end of the season.

"We had a variety of people who ran, jumped and threw well," said coach Tom Mulligan. "Overall, it was a good meet." While he was pleased with several atheletes' performances last Friday, Mulligan is also anticipating the All-Ohio conference meet, two weeks from now, in which 17 Division III teams will compete. The upcoming meet includes both the Ohio Athletic Conference and the North Coast Athletic Conference; Oberlin's track and field teams fall into the latter.

Sophomore Amie Ely is anticipating the conference. "It's hard to believe it's almost here," she said. She is looking forward to participating in an upcoming heptathalon event, as well. In the meantime, however, Ely had serveral PRs at the April 11 meet. She jumped her best of the season at 14 feet, 8 and 1/4 inches, placed third overall with her 27.6 second 200 meter PR, had another PR in the 100 meter with a time of 13.5 and also ran on the winning 400 meter relay team along with Nicole James, Sarah Allen and Melissa Barnard. The team clocked in at 53.3 seconds.

While the men's team didn't make any records with their relays, there were a number of personal bests in the field events and a few individual sprints. Sophomore Jason Cunningham threw his best shot of the season at 39 feet, 9 and 3/4 inches in the shot-put, as well as a PR with the discus at 124 feet, 6 inches. First-year Rick Kocher had a PR in the javelin throw with his distance of 123 feet, 8 inches.

In the 200 meter, sophomore Steve Jackson had an excellent race in which he took first overall with his time of 22.6 seconds. He also ran well in the 100 meter at 11.2 seconds and came in second overall.

After the standard meet events were over and done with, Oberlin hosted its traditional co-ed relay, a so-called "free-for-all" in which the teams can compete in jest. "It always goes fairly well," Mulligan said of the relay. "It's always a fun thing and I think it helps to bring the teams together and take the edge off the day." First-year Mark Sasaki, who ran a leg on the winning relay team, agreed. "It just takes all the pressure off of the meet and gives the team some time to enjoy themselves while they run."

Mulligan said that the meet was partly successful due to the pleasant weather. "Last year the tornado forced us to cancel the meet, but this year it was just beautiful."

Ely also noted that the weather played a role in the outcome of the meet. "Everyone did really well...It's nice when you don't have other elements [of weather] to deal with besides gravity."

Good Exchange: The track team had a good meet. (photo by Keri Marcovici)