BEREA, Ohio — Saturday (March 28) afternoon was a historical day for the Marietta College track & field program at the OAC Gold Meet as a pair of athletes set multiple school records and a third became the first Pioneer to qualify for the upcoming NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship, which will be hosted by Marietta College May 21-23 at Don Drumm Stadium. In addition, for the first time in the history of the OAC Gold Meet, which was hosted this year by Baldwin-Wallace College, Marietta took home a team title as the women placed first and the men took third at the five-team competition.

The Pioneer women compiled 181 points to narrowly defeat host Baldwin-Wallace, which had 177.5 points. John Carroll took third with 160.50 points, while Mount Union placed fourth with 101 points and Muskingum was fifth with 59 points. Baldwin-Wallace won the men's side with 220.50 points. Mount Union placed runner-up with 149 points, Marietta took a close third with 143 points, John Carroll was fourth with 129 points and Muskingum finished fifth with 56.50 points.

Marietta sophomore Zach Gay (Elyria/Oberlin) earned the distinction of being the first athlete to qualify to represent the home team at the year-end NCAA Championship. Gay won the High Jump by clearing his third attempt at 2.02m (6-07.50), which was a new personal record. The mark met the Provisional Qualifying Standard set by the NCAA. The nation's top 18 qualifiers will compete in the event on May 23, the final day of competition at the championship.

Pioneer senior Brian Pallini (Medina), the program's lone representative at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championship, set a pair of school records on Saturday. The first record came in the Shot Put and stood since 1963 when Harold Funke tossed a mark of 15.18m (49-09.75). Pallini won the Shot Put with a throw of 15.26m (50-00.75), making him the first Pioneer to ever throw the shot over 50 feet. The 2009 All-America selection in the Weight Throw then broke the Hammer Throw record by over six feet with another first place performance. Pallini unleashed a throw of 50.87m (166-11), surpassing his teammate Derek Carpenter's (Belpre) previous record of 48.83m (160-02), which was set in May of 2007.

Marietta freshman Brittany Sims (Columbus/Eastmoor Academy) matched Pallini by breaking two school records on Saturday. She began the day by lowering her own mark in the 100m Dash. Sims, who initially broke the record with a time of 12.71 second at Wake Forest last week, raced to a second place finish with a time of 12.60 seconds. Later, she broke the school record in the 200m Dash after again taking second place in an event. Sims crossed the line in 26.55 seconds, eclipsing the old mark of 26.79 seconds set by Tara Leach last spring.

Pioneer senior Jessi Larrison (Batavia) was one of six women to win an individual event at the OAC Gold Meet. She took first in the 1,500m Run by finishing in 4:59.06. Freshman Lauren Asbury (White Sulphur Springs, W.Va./Greenbrier East) won the 100m Hurdles after crossing the line in 15.95 seconds, which was .06 seconds off the school record. Senior Sheena Spencer (Marietta/Parkersburg) won the 400m Hurdles for the first time this spring after covering the distance in 1:06.25. Freshman Ashley Bault (Atwater/Waterloo) placed first in the High Jump after successfully clearing 1.57m (5-01.75). She then just made three unsuccessful attempts at breaking the school record mark of 1.60m (5-03.00). Sophomore Olivia Holiday (Malta/Morgan) won the Pole Vault by clearing a mark of 3.20m (10-06.00). Senior Tiffany Kovacevich (Strongsville) captured the title in the Hammer Throw after a toss of 42.45m (130-03).

Kovacevich also took third with a personal best mark in the Discus (35.84m/117-07) and finished second in the Shot Put with a mark of 11.71m (38-05.00). In addition, junior Brenda Puckett (Eaton/Preble Shawnee) ran a personal best in the 1,500m run. She finished fourth with a time of 5:11.36. Freshman Reba Leonard (Brookville) ran a personal best in the 5,000m Run, taking seventh with a time of 19:46.10. Sophomore Stephanie Hammond (Toledo/Central Catholic) also had a personal best in the Hammer Throw. Hammond took fifth with a mark of 38.30m (125-08). Junior Stephanie Williams (Vincent/Warren Local) competed in the 3,000m Steeplechase for the first time in her career and finished fourth with a time of 12:40.83.

The Pioneers' 4x800m Relay, which featured junior Randi Robertson (Avon Lake), Puckett, freshman Jennifer Emmert (Martinsburg, W.Va.) and Larrison also captured a first place finish. They combined for a time of 10:13.72. The 4x100m Relay, which included freshman Corryn Muench (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic), junior Christi Tims (Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls), Spencer and Sims, added a second Relay title after piecing together a time of 50.32 seconds.

Marietta junior Josh Mickle (Madison) was the fourth male athlete to win an individual event; Pallini won two and Gay won another. Mickle claimed victory in the 1,500m Run after crossing the line in 2:00.66.

Sophomore Anthony Williams (Columbus/Bishop Hartley) ran personal records in both the 200m Dash and 400m Dash. He finished fifth in the 200m Dash with a time of 22.77 seconds and took runner-up in the 400m Dash with a time of 51.07 seconds. Freshman Ryan House (New Concord, Ohio/John Glenn)holder (Frazeysburg/Tri-Valley) ran to collegiate bests in the sprints. He placed third in the 100m Dash with a time of 11.06 seconds and second in the 200m Dash with a time of 22.13 seconds. Freshman Harold Early (New Matamoras/River) set personal records in two throwing events. Early placed sixth in the Hammer Throw with a mark of 35.95m (117-11) and took fifth in the Javelin Throw with a mark of 42.76m (140-03). Junior Louie D'Amico (Shadyside) ran a personal best in the 5,000m Run, taking ninth with a time of 17:05.35. Junior Mike Siringer (Willowick/Willoughby South) competed in the Steeplechase for the first time in his career and took second with a time of 10:09.73.

Head Coach Derek Stanley's squad returns to action on Saturday (April 4) afternoon when the Pioneers host the Don Frail Invitational. Field events begin at 12 p.m. and running events start at 2 p.m.