NCC Roundup: Track Teams Post Season Bests

Submitted by North Central College

Men’s Track

Fresh off a stellar performance in last week's College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Outdoor Championships, the North Central College men's track and field team continued to step up its efforts on Thursday and Friday, winning three events and posting a series of season-best performances in the Dr. Keeler Invitational at Jay and Dot Buikema Track.

The fourth-ranked Cardinals displayed its mastery of the pole vault once again, sweeping the top four spots. Josh Winder, Peter Geraghty and John Wood placed first, second and third, respectively, each clearing 16 feet, 7 1/4 inches, while Frank Wleklinski placed fourth with a career-best clearance of 16'1 1/4".

completed a sweep of the vertical jumping events when Zach Heerspink placed first in the high jump with a personal-best effort of 6'10 1/4:" Heerspink's performance ties him for the third-best outdoor effort in the history of the North Central program. Also posting a win with a lifetime-best effort was John Crain, who prevailed in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:24.15 to rank sixth on the Cardinals' all-time list.

The Cardinals' 4-by-400-meter relay team of Jonathan Caron, Bai Kabba, Dionte Hackler and Jon Howard placed third in 3:14.56, while Robert Kapustka posted fourth-place finishes in the hammer throw (a season-best 173'1") and discus throw (152'7").

Hackler also turned in a fifth-place showing in the 400-meter dash (48.41) and Caron teamed with Donald Smith, Kalen Petty and Michael Reasner to place fifth in the 4x100-meter relay (42.51). Matt Souvannasing added a fifth-place finish in the long jump (21'2") and Mike Giaquinto placed fifth in the javelin throw (181'5"). Nick Fridrich placed sixth in the javelin, establishing a new personal best and moving into eighth place in North Central history with a distance of 177'3".

The Cardinals wrap up their home schedule next week, hosting the Gregory Invitational on Thursday and Friday.

Women’s Track 

The North Central College women's track and field team opened its final push toward the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships on Thursday and Friday, hosting the Dr. Keeler Invitational at Jay and Dot Buikema Track.

The Cardinals posted season-best performances in several events, including a personal-best performance in the pole vault from Elizabeth Composto, who placed third overall and tied North Central's outdoor freshman record with a clearance of 12 feet, 6 inches.

Brooke Patterson, who finished fifth in the pole vault (11'2 1/4"), also turned in a second-place finish in the triple jump (37'3 3/4") as teammate Basheeba Maysfinished third (36'4 3/4"). Also placing second were Brianna Tolliver in the javelin throw (133'2") and the 4-by-800-meter relay quartet of Jacki McKown, Nora Ferguson, Amanda Marek and Ann Middleton (9 minutes, 50.87 seconds).

North Central got a third-place finish from the 4x400 relay team of Amanda Coglianese, Linnea Higgins, Krista Cota and Kala Bingham, which finished in a season-best time of 3:54.87, and a fourth-place effort from Kayla Murphy, Brittny Olson, Monique DeCap and Olivia Lopez in the 4x100 relay (49.09).

Chelsea Armstrong turned in a lifetime-best distance of 149'2" in the hammer throw, coming up just nine inches short of the North Central varsity record.

The Cardinals return to action on their home track next week, hosting the Gregory Invitational on Thursday and Friday.