T1st of 9 at NCAC championship

March 6-7, 2009

The Ohio Wesleyan 1600-meter relay team of sophomore Rowena Jones (Shutesbury, Mass./Amherst Regional), sophomore Rachael Newman (Strongsville), junior Kara Reiter (Chardon), and junior Sarah Shinn (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane) won the final event as the Bishops tied for the North Coast Athletic Conference championship at the NCAC indoor track & field meet, hosted by Denison University on Friday and Saturday in Granville.

With the Bishops trailing Oberlin by 2 points heading into the final event, the relay team clocked a time of 4:08.47, defeating the Yeowomen by nearly 2 seconds to eliminate the 2-point deficit and pull Ohio Wesleyan into a tie for the conference title.

The conference championship was the third straight for the Bishops, following outright titles in 2007 and 2008. This marks the second time that Ohio Wesleyan has taken 3 straight conference crowns, equaling the accomplishment of the 1989-90-91 teams.

Ohio Wesleyan and Oberlin finished with 138 points apiece. Allegheny was third with 109 points, followed by Wittenberg (83), Wooster (49), Denison (46 1/2), Earlham (41 1/2), Kenyon (14), and Hiram (4).

Shinn won All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors in 3 events, finishing second in the 800-meter run, the mile run and the long jump.

Also earning all-conference citations were freshman Chelsea Imm (Glandorf/Ottawa-Glandorf), who finished second in the pole vault; freshman Hannah Phlipot (Van Wert), who placed second in the shot put; sophomore Christa Cocumelli (Dublin/Bishop Watterson), who finished second in the 55-meter hurdles; sophomore Lainey Kekic (Canfield/Western Reserve), who tied for third place in the high jump and added a fourth in the long jump, a fifth in the triple jump, and sixths in the 55- and 200-meter dashes; Newman, who placed third in the 800-meter run; and freshman Sam Smyth (Falmouth, Maine), who finished third in the shot put.

The Bishop 800-meter relay team of Kekic, junior Ashlie Britton (LeRoy/Painesville Riverside), Jones, and Newman also took All-NCAC honors with its third-place finish.

Also scoring for Ohio Wesleyan were junior Sharon Rymut (Broadview Heights/Brecksville-Broadview Heights), who placed fourth in the shot put; sophomore Laura Packard (Mount Vernon), who finished fifth in the 55-meter hurdles and the pole vault; Jones, who was fifth in the 200-meter dash and eighth in the 400-meter dash; senior Jessica Merrill (Columbia Station/Columbia), who was sixth in the 55-meter hurdles and the long jump and seventh in the high jump; sophomore Kat Zimmerly (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane), who finished sixth in the 5000-meter run and the mile run; Britton, who was seventh in the 55-meter hurdles and eighth in the triple jump; and junior Emily Washek (Erie, Pa./McDowell), who was eighth in the pole vault.

The Ohio Wesleyan distance medley relay team of Reiter, junior Amber Alegria (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic), sophomore Lindsay Dunbar (Marysville), and senior Valerie Sloboda (Columbia, Md./Atholton) finished fourth.

Ohio Wesleyan head coach Kris Boey shared NCAC Coach of the Year honors.

Final Results