DePauw track and field took another step in preparing for the upcoming outdoor season this past Friday. The Tigers brought in ten teams from five different small colleges to compete at Hollensteiner Track.
Both DePauw’s men and women placed in second, respectively. “I was very happy with how the team did,” said sophomore sprinter Johnny Miller. “Our team stuck together and showed some great things on Friday night and I was very happy with how the meet ended.”
The men fell to champions Hanover College by just four points, tallying up 144 by the end of the meet, while Franklin College came in third with 110 points.
There were a handful of strong performances brought by the Tigers. Sophomore sprinter Chase Wright collected a first place finish in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.27, while sophomore Paul Christian took first in the 3,000 meter 8:53.68. Junior thrower Nate Baker placed second in the weight throw with 14.89 meter, moving him up to second longest distance in DePauw history. “I was happy with my overall performance,” Baker said. “I felt like my weight throw was finally able to click on my full throw.”
The women were led by a string of first place finishes, including Senior Claudia Monnet in the 800 meter run (2:26.69), first-year Kira Singer in the 3,000 meter (12:04.34), and first-year Emily Wilson in the high jump (1.53m).
Second place finishes included first-year Haley Thompson in the mile (5:36.68), and senior Amanda Weber in the 200m dash (27.66). Thompson said that having so many home meets has served as a strength for the Tigers throughout the indoor season.
“Indoor is really about getting started for the outdoor season and so I think as a team we're at a good starting point but am excited to see how we improve,” Thompson said.
Both the men and women will compete in two more home meets before heading into indoor conference. “There will be some good competition at these meets,” Baker said. “We are continuing to train hard. That's part of the struggle with indoor that we have such a short time till conference.”
Miller also believes the team is on the right path to having successful indoor and outdoor seasons. “The team is working really hard and very confident in making a statement this year,” Miller said.
The Tigers host the DePauw Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Hollensteiner Track. The first event will start at 11a.m..