Women place third, men take fourth During Spring break the Ohio track and field team geared up for its first meet of the outdoor season.
Out of competition for a month, the Bobcats traveled to Wilmington, N.C., for the Cape Fear Classic. The team arrived in Wilmington on Monday and practiced throughout the week until the meet on Friday.
After two days of competition the women took third place overall out of nine teams, falling to host school UNC Wilmington and Robert Morris. The men took fourth place out of nine teams, placing behind UNC Wilmington, Robert Morris and VMI.
At the end of the first day of competition both teams held the third place spot. Two Bobcats finished first, both on the men's side. Jason Linton claimed first in the 1500-meter race and Craig Leon took the top spot in the 10k race.
Four women took top spots in their events on the second day of competition. Hurdler Jericka Duncan, distance runner Carime Reinhart, jumper Tamara Fennell and pole-vaulter Rachael Diehl all claimed first place finishes.
The meet was an especially successful one for Fennell, who over the course of the two days earned the team 25 points. She landed in first on the second day in the triple jump. Fennell said the success at the meet helped her look forward to the rest of the season.
It definitely was a confidence booster
Fennell said. We felt slow in the indoor season not having a track; that caused problems. Being able to come out in the outdoor season and do really well feels good. We worked hard.
Duncan claimed her first win of the outdoor season in the 400-meter hurdles. Diehl took the top spot in the pole vault. Her mark and the third place finish from Ashley Dennison earned the team 16 points.
Reinhart took a crucial win in the 10k race. Her victory combined with Andrea Maas' third place finish and Ali Green's fifth place spot earned the team 20 points out of their total 150.
The track and field team will be in action next weekend at home for the Ohio Invitational. The meet is a two-day event and will begin Friday.
-Michelle Mu-oz 17
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Michelle Mu-oz
