SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg men's and women's track and field teams are primed and ready for the biggest weekend of the 2006 indoor season after taking partial squads to last weekend's Fred Wilt Memorial Invitational at Anderson University.

In their final tune-up for the North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet March 3-4 at Denison, the Tiger men placed seventh and the Tiger women took ninth at Anderson. There were several outstanding individual finishes to highlight the weekend.

For the men, the 4 x 200-meter relay foursome of senior Gregg Carter (Wellsville, Ohio/Wellsville), freshman Manoach Lamarre (Miami, Fla./Bellen Jesuit), senior David Bazzel (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) and sophomore Derrick Braziel (Brook Park, Ohio/West Springfield (Va.)) finished first in a school-record time of 1:31.51. Carter then added a school record in the 55 meters as he crossed the finish line in 6.57 in the preliminaries, the best time in the NCAC this year. He finished second in the finals with a time of 6.60.

Carter is set up for a huge conference championship meet. In addition to his top seeding in the 55 meters, Carter has the best time in the NCAC in the 200 meters and the top mark in the long jump. In addition, Carter is part of that 4 x 200-meter relay team, which has the fastest time in the NCAC.

Among several other personal and season-best times at Anderson, freshman Erik Larkin (Cincinnati, Ohio/Country Day) stood out with a third-place mark of 43-5 in the triple jump, and senior Thomas Dillingham (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) placed fourth in the weight throw with a mark of 47-5. That is just short of his NCAC-best mark of 48-4.5.

On the women's side, there were also some encouraging developments, starting with sophomore Nicole Bailey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day), who placed first in the triple jump with a mark of 35-2, third in the 55 meters with a season-best time of 7.42 and third in the long jump with a mark of 16-7.75. Bailey, who holds the Anderson Fieldhouse record in the 55 meters after blistering the track in a Wittenberg school record time of 7.31 a year ago, will be favored to defend her NCAC title in the event, since she has the fastest time in the conference this year.

Freshman Kristy Parker (Hamilton, Ohio/Ross) made a statement with a time of 27.39 in the 200 meters. The personal-best time was good for fifth place in the meet at Anderson, but it was the best time in the NCAC.

In addition, the 4 x 200-meter relay quartet of freshman Tara Osborne (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda), Parker, freshman Katie Shoemaker (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin-Monroe) and senior Anna Finkelstein (Whitehall, Mich./Reeths-Puffer) placed third in a time of 1:49.11, which was almost two seconds better than their best time this season. It was also the top time in the NCAC heading into this weekend's meet.

Parker was named NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week for her performance at Anderson.

Dillingham was named NCAC Field Events Athlete of the Week and Carter earned NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week for the second time this season.

Details about the Tigers can be found on the team's schedule/results page.

Next: 3/3-4 NCAC Indoor Championships
@ Denison

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg men's and women's track and field teams are nearing the end of the 2006 indoor season, and in the last few weeks the Tigers have picked up some outstanding performances in preparation for next week's North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet at Denison University.

Most recently, the Tigers competed as a split squad in back-to-back meets at Ohio Northern on Friday and Saturday. Most of the team competed at the ONU Invitational on Friday, while others who had qualifying times or marks for Saturday's All-Ohio Invitational competed then. Ten athletes competed in individual events in the All-Ohio and seven others participated in relay events at the competition, the most ever for the Tiger indoor track and field program.

The highlights on Friday for the Tiger men were provided by sophomore D.J. Hlovchiec (Loveland, Ohio/Moeller), who set a school record with a mark of 14-0 in the pole vault, which was good for second place, and freshman Mark King (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis), who established a personal best time in the 400 meters as he finished second with a time of 53.22. In addition, the 800-meter relay quartet of junior Ross Ballinger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mariemont), sophomore Desmond Braziel (Brook Park, Ohio/West Springfield (Va.)), senior Will Block (Troy, Ohio/Troy) and freshman Luke Smith (Galion, Ohio/Northmor) captured second place in a time of 1:40.35.

Rounding things out, sophomore David Wallingford (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue) claimed third place in the 5,000 meters in a time of 17:18.85.

On the women's side, sophomore Hannah Holmes (LaGrange Park, Ill./Lyons Township) placed third in the long jump with a mark of 14-7.5, sophomore Alissa Goble (Sunfield, Mich./Lakewood) placed third in the pole vault with a personal best of 8-6 and sophomore Allison Walker (Columbus, Ohio/Academy) took the Tigers' lone first-place finish in the meet, picking up a personal best of 34-11.75 in the 20-pound weight throw. She added a third place in the shot put with a mark of 32-4.25.

On Saturday, the Tigers placed eighth in the men's All-Ohio competition and 10th in the women's All-Ohio competition, which included 16 of the best NCAA Division III programs in the state.

For the women, the highlight was turned in once again by sophomore Nicole Bailey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day), who captured first place in the 55 meters with a time of 7.46, second in the triple jump with a mark of 34-0.75 and eighth in the long jump. Bailey, the NCAC Indoor champion and an NCAA Division III provisional qualifier in the 55 meters in 2005, is unbeaten against Division III runners so far this year.

For her efforts, Bailey was named NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week for the second time this season.

The men were paced by senior Gregg Carter (Wellsville, Ohio/Wellsville), who placed third in the 55 meters with a personal best time of 6.61, second in the long jump with a personal best mark of 22-8.5, which was just one inch off the NCAA Division III provisional qualifying standard. He also was a member of a sixth place 800-meter relay team.

In addition, senior Thomas Dillingham (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) placed third in the 35-pound weight throw with a personal best mark of 48-4.5 and freshman Erik Larkin (Cincinnati, Ohio/Country Day) claimed a third in the triple jump with a mark of 42-0.75.

Dillingham was named NCAC Field Events Athlete of the Week and Carter earned NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week for the second time this season.

Details about the Tigers can be found on the team's schedule/results page.

Next: 2/18 @ Ohio State
Scarlet & Gray Invitational

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg men's and women's track and field teams ran well in their second meet of the 2006 indoor season, take fifth and eighth place respectively at the Marietta Invitational. The meet consisted mostly of scholarship programs from NCAA Division I and II and NAIA. The Tigers finished first among NCAA Division III programs in the men's competition and second in the women's meet.

In the 12-team men's meet, the Tigers were led for a second straight week by senior Gregg Carter (Wellsville, Ohio/Wellsville). The NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week, Carter placed second in the long jump with a mark of 21-11.75, third in the 200 meters in 23.12 and seventh in the 55 meters in 6.67.

Even more impressive may have been the performance turned in by freshman Erik Larkin (Cincinnati, Ohio/Country Day), who placed first in the triple jump with a mark of 42-11, sixth in the high jump with a mark of 6-0 and seventh in the long jump at 20-1.75. Amazingly, this was the first meet in which Larkin had ever competed in the triple jump.

Also of note, sophomore Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North) took fourth in the 800 meters, freshman Mark King (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) added a fifth in the 400 meters, freshman Manoach Lamarre (Miami, Fla./Bellen Jesuit) placed fifth in the triple jump, senior Thomas Dillingham (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) finished fourth in the weight throw with a personal-best mark of 48-2.5 and junior Andy Karcher (Oceola, Ohio/Bucyrus Wynford) rounded things out with a sixth in the weight throw with a personal-best of 45-4.25.

On the women's side, Wittenberg highlights in the 13-team meet were provided individually by sophomore Nicole Bailey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day) and freshman Katie Shoemaker (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe).

Bailey finished first in the 55 meters in a time of 7.47, first in the triple jump with a mark of 35-1.75 and third in the long jump with a mark of 16-2.5. She earned NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Week for her exploits.

Shoemaker placed second in the 400 meters in 1:04.73 and fifth in the 200 meters in 27.97. Rounding things out, the distance medley relay team of freshmen Jessica Rizzo (Benningtor, Ind./South Dearborn), Dana Reamsnyder (Eden Prairie, Minn./Prairie), Allison Macke (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) and Abby McCutcheon (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) captured a respectable fifth place with a time of 14:36.36.

The Tigers get right back into it this week at the annual North Coast Athletic Conference Relays, hosted by Denison. While this is not a traditionally formatted meet, it does give all of the conference schools an early look at the competition they will face in both the indoor and outdoor championship meets still to come this season.

Details about the Tigers can be found on the team's schedule/results page.

Next: 1/28 @ NCAC Relays

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg men's and women's track and field teams kicked off the 2006 indoor season last weekend with a meet at Otterbein. The Tigers were one of three teams involved in the non-scored meet.

Bailey, who earned multiple All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors and posted an NCAA Division III provisional qualifying time in the 55 meters a year ago, picked up right where she left off in 2005. Bailey finished first in the long jump with an indoor personal best of 16-8.5, first in the triple jump with a mark of 34-10.5, and first in the 55 meters with a time of 7.67, eight-tenths of second slower than her preliminary time of 7.59. All three of Bailey's marks met the NCAC additional qualifying standard, meaning that Wittenberg will be allowed to enter more than three athletes in those events at the conference championship meet in March.

Carter finished first in the long jump with a mark of 22-4.5, which was more than a foot better than his previous personal best, and he added a first in the 55 meters with a personal-best-tying time of 6.63. His times also met the NCAC additional qualifying standard.

The Tigers' only other first-place finisher at Otterbein was senior Anna Finkelstein (Whitehall, Mich./Reeths-Puffer), who took the top spot in the 1000 meters in a time of 3:23.02. In addition, freshman Katie Shoemaker (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe) made a strong debut with a second place in the 500 meters.

In addition, two freshmen made strong debuts. Mark King (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) placed first in the 400 meters in a time of 53.62 and 4th in the 300 meters with a personal best time of 39.57, and Manoach Lamarre (Miami, Fla./Bellen Jesuit) placed second in the 55 meters and first in the 300 meters, both with personal best and NCAC additional qualifying standards times.

The Tigers return to action this weekend at Marietta, their final tune-up before the annual NCAC Relays at Denison on Jan. 28.

Details about the Tigers can be found on the team's schedule/results page.

Next: 1/21 @ Marietta

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg men's and women's track and field teams kick off the indoor portion of the 2006 season on Saturday, Jan. 14 with a meet at Kent State University.

The Tigers have outstanding depth and talent on both the men's and women's teams in 2006, led by a pair of aspiring national qualifiers - senior middle distance specialist Anna Finkelstein (Whitehall, Mich./Reeths-Puffer) and sophomore sprinter/jumper Nicole Bailey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day).

Finkelstein has multiple All-North Coast Athletic Conference designations to her credit, and she nearly reached the NCAA Division III provisional cut in the 800 meters. Bailey was a sensation in her inaugural collegiate campaign, earning three All-NCAC honors each in the indoor and outdoor championship meets, and ranking among the top 20 in the nation in the indoor 55 meters, just missing out on a trip to the national meet.

On the men's side, the team leaders are sophomore middle distance specialist Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North), the team's leading finisher in every cross country meet the last two years, junior Andy Karcher (Oceola, Ohio/Bucyrus Wynford) in the throwing events, senior sprinter/jumper Gregg Carter (Wellsville, Ohio/Wellsville) and senior hurdler Tom Smith (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson). All four athletes have earned multiple All-NCAC honors in their collegiate careers.

Details about the Tigers will be documented throughout the season in results found at schedule/results page.

Next: 1/14 @ Kent State