March 5, 2008

Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Teams Sweep

Team effort, team success celebrated.

For the Bishop women, sophomore Casey Ridgeway won two events and helped a relay team to another win, and the Bishop 1600-meter relay team won the meet on the final event.

Ohio Wesleyan and Allegheny were tied at 146 points going into the meet’s last event, the 1600-meter relay. The Bishop squad of freshman Lainey Kekic, freshman Rachael Newman, senior Ashley Shaffer and sophomore Kara Reiter finished second in a time of 4:08.15, giving Ohio Wesleyan a total of 154 points to 152 for Allegheny.

Ridgeway won the 55-meter dash in a time of :07.36, breaking the school record of :07.39 she set last year, and won the 200-meter dash in :26.28. She combined with Kekic, sophomore Ashlie Britton and Shaffer to win the 800-meter relay in 1:47.43, breaking the school record of 1:49.70 set by Ridgeway, Ericka Newell, Erica Wehner, and Britton in 2007. Ridgeway was named the meet’s Sprinter/Hurdler of the Year in recognition of her efforts.

Sophomore Claire Everhart took Ohio Wesleyan’s other first-place finish, winning the mile run in 5:25.75 and adding a seventh-place finish in the 3000-meter run.

Kekic and Shaffer also took multiple All-NCAC honors, with Shaffer breaking her own school record in the triple jump.

Sophomore David Burke won 2 events and the Ohio Wesleyan men’s team swept the three relay events—two of them setting school records—on the way to winning the meet.

Burke won the triple jump with an effort of 44-10 3/4 and took the high jump by clearing 6-3 1/2. He also finished fifth in the long jump and was selected the meet’s Field Event Performer of the Year.

The Bishop 1600-meter relay team of junior Preston Osborn, junior Ryan Ellis, sophomore Bryce Mathias and junior Nathan Osborn won its event in 3:26.12, breaking the school record of 3:26.28 set by that quartet earlier this season.

Ohio Wesleyan’s distance medley team also established a school record, with the foursome of junior Garret Andre-Johnson, freshman Kody Law, freshman Kyle Herman and junior Alex Havran winning in 10:32.45, breaking the mark of 10:33.39 set by Paul Loehle, Aaron Dimbath, Dan Bowens and Mike Synk in 2002.

The Bishop 800-meter relay team of Ellis, freshman Sean Patrick, freshman Jordon Exeter and Nathan Osborn won its event in 1:31.33.

Patrick claimed the Bishops’ other first-place finish, winning the 55-meter dash in :06.66 and adding a fourth-place finish in the 200-meter dash. Exeter won multiple all-conference citations by placing third in the 200-meter dash and the long jump.

“It was a complete team effort by both teams,” says Ohio Wesleyan head coach Kris Boey. “Of course, you’re going to have individuals who come through with big performances, but what made this special was that everyone felt they had a role to play, and everyone did their part and took their role seriously. To have both teams win the same championship in the same year is rare—it hasn’t happened here since 1990.”

Boey was recognized for his efforts as well, receiving NCAC Coach of the Year laurels for both men and women.

– Mark Beckenbach