The DePauw University Tigers' women's track and field team outdid themselves this past weekend, breaking three school records in route to a 139-point first place finish at the DePauw Indoor Invitational.
Franklin College came in second place at the invitational, with 98 points. Anderson University (Ind.) came in third, netting 92.5 points in the 19 events scored. Campbellsville University found itself on the outside looking in, coming in fourth place with 77 points.
The Invitational was never dull, seeing three of the Tiger runners do things that were never done before in DePauw history. Junior Celia Kauth won the high jump event, recording a jump of 1.62 meters, a height good enough to break Kris Raub's 1986 record of 5-3.5. Kauth, who graduated from North Montgomery High School (Crawfordsville, Ind.) in 2011, recorded a 5-2.25 jump for the Tigers in 2013. Kauth credits a few things for her success this year.
"There's a lot of support from [my teammates]," Kauth said. "My two high jump mentors Lee Harmon and Chelsea Courtney have always pushed me to do my best. There's lots of support and people that helped me throughout. "
Harmon and Courtney graduated last season, but their advice stuck with Kauth and others on the Tigers' roster throughout the 2014 pre-season. Kauth has noted the impact upperclassmen have had on her during her DePauw career and hopes to have the same effect on this year's younger athletes.
"As an upperclassman, it's a huge part to encourage people to lift, eat healthy and take care of themselves on the weekend," Kauth said. "It just takes that extra voice, in every aspect of DePauw life. I try to help take care of my teammates in every way possible."
Kauth also credited the freshmen on the roster for the Tigers' hot start this season. One in particular, Meghan Burke (Erlanger, Ky.), broke another record for the Tigers this past weekend. In only her second invitational as a Tiger, Burke ran her way into DePauw record books after she completed the 60-meter hurdles in only 9.51 seconds.
Additionally, senior Jillian Balser (Brentwood, Tenn.) used this weekend as another opportunity to outdo herself in DePauw record books. In the first two invitationals of 2014, Balser made history. The next week, she remade history, jumping .16 meters higher. The most recent Tiger of the Week cleared 3.36 meters at the Indoor Invitational, after jumping 3.2 meters at the James A. Hollensteiner Track meet two weekends prior. As The DePauw reported last week, Balser's Small College Invitational performance beat a record she placed last year, clearing 3.15 meters at the Fred Wilt Invitational.
"Going in to the meet Saturday, I knew I could jump higher than 10-6," Balser said. "I knew that I could beat my previous jump, and I was determined to do so. At this point, it's me trying to improve every instance I get."
Balser's record-breaking outburst happened around the same time last year - the Fred Wilt Invitational occurred on February 23rd of last year. This year, the Fred Wilt Invitational at Anderson University will take place on March 1st, following the DePauw Classic this upcoming weekend. The North Coast Athletic Conference Pentathlon at Kenyon College will happen on the same weekend as the Fred Wilt Invitational.
Balser's improvements this season will surely be on the minds of track programs nationwide that have to face the Tigers later in the year. The added attention Balser is sure to receive is something that she is totally comfortable with.
"I think that's the fun thing about pole vaulting," Balser said. "A lot of the girls in the league have been around for a long time and we know each other well. While there's the element of competition, it's a constructive thing... I'm not really affected by the views of other teams."
Heather O'Brien, a sophomore graduate of Bishop Chatard (Indianapolis) also performed well at the DePauw Indoor. O'Brien placed first place in her event, the 3,000 meters. O'Brien won the race in 11:10.23. First year Tiernan Shank's (Prairie Village, Kan.) impact was also felt at the Invitational. The Shawnee Mission East graduate placed second in the 400-meter heat, finishing in 1:04.16. O'Brien acknowledges that while the first couple of meets were successful, there is a long way to go before DePauw can deem themselves a powerhouse, starting with this upcoming weekend's DePauw Classic.
"I think we are definitely a team to fear," O'Brien said. "Having two wins already under our name is a great way to show the hard work we have put in. This (DePauw Classic) meet is a bit more competitive. It is getting very close to the conference meet, so girls are trying to hit qualifying times and get in fast heats."
The DePauw Classic will be held at 11 a.m. on the James A. Hollensteiner Track.