Isabel Abarca
Senior Sports Writer
The College’s track and field teams hosted the indoor Fighting Scots Invitational with runners from Wittenberg University, Denison University, Oberlin College and Kenyon College this past weekend. The men placed second in a field of five teams, ending the day with 123 points. They fell just short of Wittenberg, which had 131 points, but kept their distance from the team in third, Denison, which had just 74 points.
The women finished the indoor meet with 88 points, placing fourth, while Wittenberg, Denison and Oberlin captured the top three spots. Matthew Margida ’16 said that invitationals can be difficult for both the men’s and women’s teams.
“Meets are always up in the air; some days you do really well. Some days you feel like you didn’t perform the best that you could’ve,” said Margida.
Regardless, the women and men unquestionably showcased their talent with a handful of event winners and runners-up. In particular, the first years seem to be taking this team and the conference by storm.
On the women’s side, Carolyn Webster ’19 out-jumped the other competitors. She earned first place in the high jump at 5-5, coming an inch away from tying a school record. She also came in first for the long jump at 17-3 1/4.
Teammates Hilary Coady ’16, Taryn Szalay ’17 and Mackenzie Keller ’18 also performed well and contributed to the overall score with a handful of second- and third-place finishes. The 4×400 relay team of Coady, Julia Higgins ’19, Emani Kelley ’19 and Lissette Torres ’18 finished second. There were great results from individuals as well as from the relay teams. With the momentum they gained from this meet, the women’s team looks forward to upcoming competitions.
Likewise, on the men’s side, there were many performances that were noteworthy and shed light on a promising 2016 season for the team. Margida earned first in the shot put, while John Petrecca ’19 landed a first place in high jump. Jarrett Art ’19 earned the number one spot for the 200-meter and a second place finish for the long jump. Beyond the jumping, shot put and sprints, the men’s team also had success in the distance events. In the 3,000-meter event, Blake Pecoraro ’17 came in second and was followed by a strong performance from Jacob Denbeaux ’19 in third .
“It’s nice to see our younger teammates performing well. It makes you feel good about the future of the program in those areas,” said Margida. The Fighting Scots travel to Granville, Ohio this weekend for the Bob Shannon Invitational hosted by Denison University. Field events start at noon while track events begin at 2 p.m.