Marietta track & field takes runner-up at Wilmington Invitational
Three school records fall in final tune-up for OAC Championship

April 19, 2008
WILMINGTON, Ohio — The Marietta College track & field team made the most of its final tune-up for next week’s Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championship by taking a pair of runner-up finishes at the 2008 Wilmington Invitational. The Pioneers broke three school records en route to collecting 109.50 points in the men’s competition and 140 points in the women’s competition. Host Wilmington swept the event with its men compiling 163 points and its women scoring 159 points.

Freshman Seth Beckner (Red House, W.Va./Buffalo) broke the school’s 33-year old record in the Pole Vault on Saturday. Beckner, who finished second, cleared 4.47m (14-08.00). He surpassed Rick Bond’s 1975 mark of 4.44m (14-07.00) to take hold of the school record.

Freshman Olivia Holiday (Malta/Morgan) also set the women’s Pole Vault record at the meet. She won the competition with school record mark of 3.35m (14-11.75), breaking Fizzy Ramsey’s 2006 jump of 3.15m (10-04.00).

Senior Sheena Spencer (Marietta/Parkersburg) became the first Lady Pioneer to ever run the 400m Dash in under a minute. Spencer, the new school record holder, won the race after crossing the line in 58.74 seconds. Teammate Jessi Larrison (Batavia), who held the previous record (1:00.90), came in second with a time of 1:01.53.

Sophomore Randi Robertson (Avon Lake) won a pair of races on Saturday. She took first place in the 1,500m Run (4:57.27) and then won the 800m Run (2:24.96). Classmate Logan Wern (North Canton/Hoover) placed third in the 1,500m Run (5:13.25).

Freshman Matt Hickman (St. Marys, W.Va.) also won both of his races at the meet. He placed first in the 100m Dash (11.35 seconds) and then won the 200m Dash (22.61 seconds.).

Marietta swept the Hammer Throw competition as juniors Tiffany Kovacevich (Strongsville) and Derek Carpenter (Belpre) won their respective events. Kovacevich had a top mark of 44.02m (144-05), while Carpenter threw a season’s best 47.76m (156-08). Kovacevich also placed runner-up in both the Discus Throw (35.86m/117-06) and the Shot Put (11.22m/36-09.75).

The Pioneers also got an individual championship from senior Rachelle Cole (Sherrodsville/Conotton Valley); she won the Javelin Throw with a personal record mark of 34.00m (111-06). Cole then took third in the Hammer Throw with a mark of 39.01m (128-00). Senior Jayson Roth (Tuscarawas/Indian Valley) also threw a personal best in the men’s Javelin Throw (52.17m/171-02) and took third.

Marietta freshman Tara Leach (West Lafayette) and senior Breanne Kosar (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) both took second place in their respective events. Leach had a 4.92m (16-01.75) mark in the Long Jump, while Kosar cleared 1.53m (5-00.25) in the High Jump.

Wilmington will also be the site of next week’s OAC Championship, which will begin on Friday (April 15) at 12 p.m. with four different field events. Action concludes on Saturday (April 26) with the trophy presentations around 5:30 p.m.

Freshman Olivia Holiday broke the school record in the Pole Vault

Men's Results

Women's Results