Track and field teams participate in Trine Invitational

ANGOLA, Ind. – The Olivet College men's and women's track and field teams participated in the Don & Riley Zimmer Invitational Friday night at Trine (Ind.) University. The unscored meet featured seven schools, three NCAA institutions and four NAIA schools.

For the women, senior Sara Wegener (Lansing/Lansing Catholic) was the lone event winner, as she won the shot put with a 11.26 meter/36 feet, 11-1/2 inch toss. Wegener also placed second in the weight throw with a 13.09 meter/42 feet, 11-1/2 inch throw.

Also in the field events, sophomore Danielle Hoffman (Parma/Western) cleared the pole vault bar at a season-best mark of 2.83 meters/9 feet, 3-1/4 inches to finish in second-place. Fellow sophomore Lauren Easton (Jackson/Parma Western) placed fifth with a 2.68 meter/9 feet, 9-1/4 inch clearance.

Freshman Marissa Guile (Williamston) and senior Rachael Wagner (Clinton Twp./Fraser) both had a 1.45 meter/4 feet, 9 inch mark in the high jump. Guile needed only two attempts to make it over, which was good enough for a third-place finish. Wagner needed all three tries to place fourth.

Junior Cassie Ciaravino (Lapeer/East) had the best performance for the women on the track. She placed second in the 60-meter hurdles and tied her season-best time of 9.43 seconds. Hoffman placed seventh at 10.70 seconds.

Freshman Brooke Leach (Clinton Twp./Chippewa Valley) finished in seventh-place in the 400-meter run (1:07.12). Senior Jenna Mayle (Ionia) ran an indoor school-record time of 2:29.99 in the 800-meter run to place eighth of 29 runners. Mayle, Wagner, Guile and Leach were fourth in the 4x400 relay (4:25.65).

The top performance for the men's team was turned in by junior Jalen Weaver (Albion). He posted a career-best performance time of 51.46 seconds in the 400-meter run to finish second out of 25 runners. Freshman Connor Bauserman (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) was eighth at 52.54 seconds.

Freshman Blake Wilson (Battle Creek/Lakeview) crossed the line first in his heat and finished seventh overall of 32 athletes in the 800-meter run (2:03.51). Freshman Dan Hugan (Ann Arbor/Huron) was seventh of 32 runners in the 200-meter run (:23.72) and 10th of 43 sprinters in the 60-meter run (:7.28).

The distance medley quartet of Weaver, sophomore Tyler Britten (Mendon), Bauserman and junior Greg Lutzke (Williamston) finished in sixth-place (10:39.11).

Sophomore Travon Tatum (Battle Creek/Lakeview) had Olivet's best finish in the field events. He recorded a season-best mark of 6.26 meters/20 feet, 6-1/2 inches in the long jump to place fourth. Freshman Terrance Byrd (Albion) was eighth at 5.82 meters/19-1-1/4 inches.

Junior Anthony Giordano (Livonia/Clarenceville) finished in sixth-place in the weight throw (12.65 meters/41 feet, 6 inches). Freshman DeQuarius Yore (Battle Creek/Central) was right behind him in seventh-place (12.39 meters/40 feet, 7-3/4 inches).

Olivet next competes at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7-8. The meet starts Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. and continues Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m.