The Tigers had a final tune-up this weekend in Oxford, Ohio, before next week’s conference meet at Denison.
DePauw was one of the few Division III schools in attendance, as Miami University’s RedHawk Invitational attracted an impressive number of Division I programs that included Ohio, Xavier and Butler.
The Tigers also found themselves competing with the weather.
“This was our first Division I meet, and it was raining pretty hard, yet we were still able to get some awesome performances out of us,” said senior Marcus Dozier.
Senior Kathryn Manalo agreed.
“Collectively, I was happy to see that many of our athletes braved the weather conditions and were able to perform,” she said.
Once again, Dozier led the men’s team, placing first in both the shot put (16.00 meters) and the discus (44.20 meters).
Having already broken numerous records, the nationally-ranked senior is using conference as another step in his path to being a national champion.
“The biggest thing I need at this point is just consistency,” Dozier said. “If I continue to perform the way that I have in these past few weeks, I have no doubt that I will be the next national champion.”
The men’s team also received strong performances from first-years Johnny Miller, Demarco Henry and Chase Wright.
Miller finished sixth in the long jump and eighth in the 400 meter, while Henry finished sixth in the discus. Wright finished 10th in the 100 meter and 11th in the 200 meter.
On the women’s side, sophomore Kayla Kottra led the Tigers with her second place finish in the triple jump (9.52 meters.) Sophomore Ashley Hash also turned in an impressive performance by placing fourth in the high jump (1.53 meters.)
“This meet has definitely shown me that we are ready for conference as a team,” Dozier said. “This may be one of the smaller teams we have had in a while, but our love of the sport and the desire to win is just as prevalent as anyone else’s.”
With conference less than a week away, Head Coach Kori Stoffregen is getting his team in gear for the North Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships.
“This week is about getting rest, organized and staying healthy,” Stoffregen said. “We have done the work. Now we have to go and perform the best we can.”