Drushal Leads Scots at NCAC Indoor Championships

Rick Drushal

Junior Rick Drushal picked up his fifth all-conference accolade as a member of The College of Wooster men’s track and field team, earning second-place in the shot put as the Fighting Scots finished eighth in the 10-team field at the 2006 North Coast Athletic Conference Championships hosted by Denison University at the Mitchell Athletics and Recreation Center in Granville, Ohio, on March 3-4.

Wooster accumulated 20 points over the two days to stay above Earlham College (17) and Hiram College (4). Allegheny College made it a clean sweep this season by winning both the men’s and women’s team’s championships as the Gator men dominated the field with 213 points, more than double runner-up Ohio Wesleyan University (104). Wabash College (92), Denison University (63), Wittenberg University (50), Kenyon College (38), and Oberlin College (23) rounded spots 3-7.

Drushal picked up his second all-conference honor in the indoor shot put with a toss of 47 feet, 3.25 inches, finishing a mere 1.75 inches behind first-place Pat Confer of Allegheny College. The Scot junior also earned All-NCAC status as a freshman by placing third in the shot put (48 feet, two inches) at the indoor meet.

Several other Wooster athletes finished among the top-eight and no event was stronger for the Scots than the 55-meter hurdles. After all-conference hopeful Dierre Taylor was disqualified in the preliminary round, sophomore Matt Jensen and junior Rob Kelm posted strong showings, finishing fourth (8.14) and seventh (8.29) in the final heat. Jensen just missed All-NCAC honors by .03.

Also getting in the scoring column was first-year Tristan Jordan in the long jump. Jordan cleared 19 feet, 6.5 inches to finish eighth overall, while right behind him in 10th was fellow classmate Averell Gatton with a leap of 18 feet, 11.75 inches. Gatton and sophomore Ross Stevenson also just missed scoring in the high jump with identical marks of 5 feet, 10 inches.

Senior Taylor Delhagen closed his indoor career with a pair of respectable finishes in the 3000 and 5000 meter races. He went 9:04.48 in the 3000 for 10th and was also 10th in the 5000 with a mark of 15:42.26.