by Nemsie Gonzalez

On Jan. 25, the Fighting Scots reached new heights in a dual meet against Denison. They made the Big Red turn blue in the face of their success. Wooster’s track and field program won 20 events overall, taking all eight first-place finishes in the jumping category. 

Cam Ray ’25 commented on his team’s success, saying, “It was a collective effort. We have elite runners that showcased their talent.” Sarah Hiestand ’26 pole vaulted 9 feet, 0.25 inches. Teammate Ellie Fox ’27 leaped 15 feet, 6 inches in the long jump alongside Essaie Mezmur ’26 who won the high jump by clearing 6 feet, 1.5 inches. 

Wooster’s fresh new talent were not the only ones dropping jaws as Drew Patterson ’24 went 34 feet in the triple jump and 5 feet, 1.25 inches in the high jump. The Scots’ ferocity didn’t stop there, with Dylan Garretson ’24 securing the team’s sweep in the jumping category by clearing 15 feet, 1 inch in the pole vault. Wooster saw success across the board from every year, as Echo Kidd ’25 and Vell Robinson ’25 were in the top performers. Robinson took top honors with a long jump at 20 feet and Kidd was the top performer in the triple jump reaching 42 feet, 6 inches. 

The jumpers were not the only ones reveling in their success, with many track stars matching the performances of their fellow Scots. Liam Regan ’25, Cooper Norwell ’27, King Jeju ’27 and Ray got a time of 1:32.32 — just seconds away from taking down Wooster’s record for the 4×200 relay. Jeju met the same fate in the 60-meter dash where, despite his excellence and perseverance, fell short of his own school record by 7 seconds with a time of 7.07. Daysia Hargrave ’25 faced similar circumstances, notching a time only 10 seconds behind the College’s best in the 60-meter hurdles.

The Scots continued to dominate Denison in the relays. With their time of 4:14:78, Izzie Cozzie ’26, Hargrave, Igna Mendez ’25 and Athena Tharenos ’24 were nearly 12 seconds faster than the Big Red’s 4:26.65. Joe Shilts ’23, Ray, Zane DeMercurio ’26 and Drew Robertson ’25 won by over five seconds with a time of 3:36.11.

Wooster’s Fighting Scots celebrated their excellence. Will Callender ’25 shared his feelings on the team’s success. “It’s always nice to beat Denison in these dual meets. Especially after they got us in cross country, it was good to get a win back.” Callender in particular emphasized the importance of focusing on the team first. “While track is somewhat an individual sport, it’s really helpful to have such a great team environment and to know that my teammates will always cheer me and everyone else on.” 

Callender is a reigning NCAC Athlete of the Week, and, with unwavering Wooster pride, won the mile at 4:26.05. The Scots continued to pick up points, with Shilts finishing first in the 60-meter hurdles in 9.57. DeMercurio also came in first with a time of 2:05:89 in the 800 meters. 

Even beyond the track, the Fighting Scots felt pride in their success, with Evie Sanford ’26 winning the shot put at 38 feet, 7.5 inches. Sanford, like Callender, was encouraged by the team’s engagement during the meet, saying, “It’s sometimes harder to compete in a large open setting where it seems very awkward or quiet but that makes it even more important that the team be there for other teammates and to cheer them on during their events. Looking forward to how the season progresses and to improving marks!” 

Wooster will be heading to Denison to fight the Big Red once again at the Bob Shannon Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 3.