[Men's Results | Women's Results]
by Nate Smith
Three more women's track and field records fell at the Yellow Jacket Classic in Defiance Saturday, as both the men's and women's track teams claimed third-place finishes overall.
Sophomore Amanda Habegger broke the longest standing record in the women's book with a time of 16.39 in the 100 meter hurdles, finishing first in the race and breaking a 24-year old Bluffton record. She was joined in her efforts by junior Rachel Noirot and freshman Lauren Borga. Noirot added nearly a half-foot to her previous record in the pole vault by clearing 8' 6", while Borga staked claim to the 5,000 meter record with a winning time of 19:43.0. Habegger now owns both hurdle records, while Borga now owns records to the two longest distances in track.
The women claimed seven first-place finishes in the meet, while the men captured an additional two titles. Bluffton's women (20-8) finished the meet with 156.5 overall points, just 1.5 points shy of 2nd-place Spring Arbor and 7 points behind 1st-place Defiance, in a tight battle for the team title. The men (12-18) finished with 99.5 overall points, just 2 points shy of 2nd-place Heidelberg. Six different athletes won events for the women, as their sprint team also captured the 4x100 meter relay. Event winners included Laurel Miller (TJ - 32' 9"), Habegger (100HH), Jana Hammer (100m - 12.98), Rita Muether (200m - 26.70), and Lauren Borga (5000m). The winning 4x100 team (51.45) was comprised of Habegger, Hammer, Muether, and Marquita Miller. For the men, event winners were Jeremy King (HJ - 6' 2") and Al Pearson (400m - 50.51).
With a number of top performances and season-best marks set on the best day of competition so far for the Beavers, the following is a list of additional top marks from the meet. The Beavers next competition will be this coming weekend, with the All-Ohio Division III Championships, April 18-19, at Otterbein (4/18) and Ohio Wesleyan (4/19).
MEN
Hammer: Jeff Lehman (111-3)
Javelin: Steve Borga (123-3)
Shot: Jeff Lehman (42-10.25), Travis Lepley (41-10.5)
4x100 meter relay (Dodds, Lehman, Pearson, Nusbaum) - 43.69
110 meter high hurdles: Troy Baumer (16.50)
Pole Vault: Fred Yoder (13-0)
400 meters: Troy Baumer (51.95)
100 meters: Ryan Nusbaum (11.28)
200 meters: Al Pearson (23.16)
4x400 meter relay (Pearson, Lehman, Yoder, Baumer) - 3:31.19
WOMEN
High Jump: Stephanie Welch (5-2), Laurel Miller (4-10), Kirstie Dravenstott (4-10)
Shot: Michele Bailey (33-7)
Javelin: Katie Snyder (80-0.25)
100 meter high hurdles: Laurel Miller (16.81)
Pole Vault: Amanda Habegger (8-0), Katie Snyder (7-6)
400 meters: Rita Muether (61.89)
4x400 meter relay (Muether, M. Miller, Welch, Habegger) - 4:16.08
