Both Scot Track Teams Take Sixth-Place at NCAC Relays

The College of Wooster indoor track and field teams each placed sixth during Saturday’s annual North Coast Athletic Conference Relays, hosted by Denison University. The men’s squad tallied 43 points in their 10-team field, just three shy of finishing in the top-half of the league, and the women picked up 44 in their nine-team field.

Ohio Wesleyan University won the men’s division (88) and Allegheny College finished atop the women’s field (87).

The Scots’ lone win of the day came in the women’s pole vault, with senior Jill Berner and freshman Ali Drushal combining for a meet-record mark of 20 feet, which was 2 feet, 6 inches better than the runner-ups. Individually, Berner cleared 10 feet, 6 inches, which tied her for first-place along with Allegheny College’s Sarah Sammel, while Drushal was next at a notch of 9 feet, 6 inches.

Drushal also contributed to the fourth-place 55-meter hurdles relay. She joined forces in that event with sophomore Kelly Patton, as they crossed in 9.55 and 10.34, respectively, for a total of 19.89. Drushal’s time put her fifth individually.

In the high jump relay, Wooster first-years Kayla Miller and Natalee Noche each went over 4 feet, 10 inches, putting them at a mark of 9 feet, 8 inches, good for third-place. They tied for fifth individually.

In men’s action, the Scots top event was the 55-meter hurdles, in which freshman Dierre Taylor and sophomore Matt Jensen combined for a time of 16.72. Taylor’s 8.34 was the third-fastest individually, while Jensen came in fifth-place. Also on the track, senior David Thomas, freshman Michael Cynkar, junior Rudy Gilman, and sophomore Colin Haverkamp joined forces for a fourth-place run in the 3200-meter relay (8:38.51).

Wooster added a couple of third-place showings in the field events, thanks in large part to the efforts of freshman Averell Gatton. He and sophomore Ross Stevenson each cleared 5 feet, 8 inches in the high jump, giving them a combined score of 11 feet, 4 inches, and earlier, Gatton and sophomore Tristan Jordan reached a mark of 79 feet, 0.75 inches in the triple jump. Jordan hit 41 feet, 1 inch, which was good for third-place individually.

Also noteworthy for the Scots, junior Rick Drushal placed fourth as an individual in the shot put (43 feet, 10.75 inches).

The Wooster track teams will be back in action next Friday night at the Case Invitational.