Tigers Post Several Top Finishes At The Rhodes/U. Of Memphis Big Cat Classic
The Tiger men's and women's track and field teams proved once again this weekend that they can compete extremely well against top competition.
Tim Gaal
The Tiger men's and women's track and field teams proved once
again this weekend that they can compete extremely well against top
competition. At the Rhodes/U. of Memphis Big Cat Classic,
Wittenberg athletes posted several top finishes in a field loaded
with Division I and NAIA schools, including Vanderbilt, Austin Peay
and Murray State.
No team scores were kept.
Leading the charge were a trio of first-place finishers: sophomore
Joe Rumschlag (Maumee, Ohio/Toledo Christian),
junior Joel Drake (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) and
junior Tim Gaal (Amanda, Ohio/Clearcreek).
Rumschlag, who was named NCAC Field Events Athlete of the Week,
took first place in the long jump with a mark of 22-0.5, a personal
best. Drake, the 2003 NCAC Indoor champion in the shot put, claimed
first in the same event in Memphis with a mark of 47-9. Gaal
claimed first place in the javelin with an NCAA provisional mark of
202-9. He is already approaching his 2002 best throw of 211-0,
which was a school record and an NCAA automatic qualifying mark. He
finished 11th in the nation in the event.
Other top finishers included junior Kelly Zilli (Dayton,
Ohio/Kettering Alter), who finished third in the 800
meters, junior Skip Ivery (Columbus,
Ohio/Groveport-Madison) finished second in the 110-meter
high hurdles and junior Becky Barnes (Williamsport,
Ohio/Westfall) turned in a pair of personal best
performances, including a time of 19:06.49 in the 5000 meters that
was good for third place. Barnes' performance earned her NCAC
Distance Runner Athlete of the Week recognition.
Next: 4/4-5 Wittenberg Challenge Multi-Event