1st of 10 at NCAC championship

March 1, 2008

Sophomore David Burke (Hudson) won 2 events and Ohio Wesleyan swept the 3 relays -- with 2 setting school records -- on the way to winning the North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet, hosted by Denison University on Friday and Saturday in Granville.

Ohio Wesleyan compiled 163 1/2 points to 135 for Allegheny. Denison finished third with 73 points, followed by Wabash (69), Oberlin (49 1/2), Wooster (48), Kenyon and Wittenberg (25), Earlham (24) and Hiram (12).
Final results

Burke won the triple jump with an effort of 44-10 3/4 and took the high jump by clearing 6-3 1/2. He also finished fifth in the long jump.

The Bishop 1600-meter relay team of junior Preston Osborn (Edgerton), junior Ryan Ellis (Columbus/Dublin Scioto), sophomore Bryce Mathias (Centerburg) and junior Nathan Osborn (Edgerton) won its event in 3:26.12, breaking the school record of 3:26.28 set by that quartet earlier this season.

Ohio Wesleyan's distance medley team also established a school record, with the foursome of junior Garret Andre-Johnson (Walnut Creek, Calif./Berkeley), freshman Kody Law (Reynoldsburg), freshman Kyle Herman (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) and junior Alex Havran (Woodinville, Wash./Overlake) winning in 10:32.45, breaking the mark of 10:33.39 set by Paul Loehle, Aaron Dimbath, Dan Bowens and Mike Synk in 2002.

The Bishop 800-meter relay team of Ellis, freshman Sean Patrick (Delaware/Hayes), freshman Jordon Exeter (Toronto, Ontario/Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy) and Nathan Osborn won its event in 1:31.33.

Patrick claimed the Bishops' other first-place finish, winning the 55-meter dash in :06.66 and adding a fourth-place finish in the 200-meter dash.

Also earning All-NCAC laurels were Ellis, who finished second in the 200-meter dash and fourth in the 55-meter dash; Preston Osborn, who was second in the 400-meter dash and fifth in the 200-meter dash; Exeter, who placed third in the 200-meter dash and the long jump; sophomore Matthew MacKenzie (Franklin, Mass.), who finished third in the 800-meter run; junior Andrew Bloom (Powell/Worthington Kilbourne), who was third in the 55-meter hurdles; and senior Michael Tornifolio (Stow), who placed third in the pole vault.

Other standouts for the Bishops included Nathan Osborn, who was fourth in the 400-meter dash and eighth in the 200-meter dash; freshman Jack Schemenauer (Luckey/Eastwood), who placed fourth in the 55-meter hurdles; junior David Stefanik (Wooster), who was fifth in the 3000-meter run and sixth in the 5000-meter run; sophomore Steve Brown (Redford Township, Mich./Redford), who placed fifth in the 55-meter hurdles and sixth in the high jump; sophomore Bryce Mathias (Centerburg), who finished sixth in the 200-meter dash and eighth in the 400-meter dash; freshman Parone Mulrain (Chicago, Ill./Latin School), who finished sixth in the triple jump and eighth in the long jump; sophomore Christian Schlabach (Wooster/Triway), who placed seventh in the mile run; freshman John Thatcher (Centerburg), who was seventh in the 3000-meter run; junior Jon Smith (Clyde/Bellevue), who tied for seventh in the pole vault; and sophomore Kyle Faris (Olmsted Falls), who placed eighth in the shot put.

Burke was selected the meet's Field Event Performer of the Year after winning the triple jump and the high jump and adding a fifth in the long jump.

Allegheny's Ryan Place was named Distance Runner of the Year after winning the mile, 3000- and 5000-meter runs.

Denison's Michael Barnes was named Sprinter/Hurdler of the Meet after winning 200- and 400-meter dashes.

Ohio Wesleyan head coach Kris Boey was named NCAC Coach of the Year.