Berner, Vance Win Events at CWRU Invitational

Keith Vance

The College of Wooster indoor track and field teams continued their 2003 seasons on Friday night (Feb. 7) with six individual top-three showings, as the men finished sixth of nine teams and the women seventh of eight at the Case Western Reserve University Invitational in Cleveland, Ohio.

Baldwin-Wallace College was dominant on the men's side, totaling 159.83 points, while Wooster finished with 59.50 tallies. The State University of New York at Fredonia, one of just two schools outside the greater Cleveland area competing, took the women's crown (98) edging four others which also posted 90 or more points, and the Scots scored 37.75.

The Wooster men were once again especially strong in the field events, highlighted by Keith Vance's third win in as many tries this season in the shot put competition. The junior threw 49 feet, 9.25 inches, just shy of his school-record 50-foot heave last week.

Also in the field, junior Nathan Collins was the runner-up in the triple jump (41'05.00"), while classmate James Williams leaped 20 feet, seven inches to take third in the long jump. The pole vault went well for the Scots as well, with junior Doug Reiser clearing 13 feet, good for third-place at the meet.

On the track, underclassmen were the primary contributors to Wooster's scoring. Taylor Delhagen, a first-year, ran a 9:13.89 to place fifth overall in the 3000 meters, while fellow freshmen Chris Taft and Colin Turner finished the 800 meters in fourth- (2:01.38) and fifth-place (2:01.66), respectively. Also, Matt Knepp, another first-year, sprinted through the preliminariess and finals to a fourth-place showing in the 55 meters (6.78).

On the women's side, Wooster's freshman pole vault team scored several points again, paced by Jill Berner, who in winning the event upped her school record to 10 feet. Also in that event, Kate Legg and Alexa McCarthy tied for sixth (8'00.00") and eighth (7'00.00"), respectively.

The Scots performed well in the running events as well. Senior Nicole DeSantis was a double scorer, crossing fifth in the 400 meters (1:04.58) and sixth in the 200 meters (29.03), while junior Karina Colbenson took third in the 800 meters (2:29.85) and sophomore Jennie Stockdale finished seventh in the 1500 meters (5:06.48).

Wooster returns to action on Saturday (Feb. 15), traveling Granville, Ohio, for the Big Red Invitational, which will start at 1 p.m.