Pioneer men and women each place third at MC Open #2
Women set six school records, while men break one during final home indoor meet of the season

Feb. 26, 2006
MARIETTA, Ohio – On Saturday (Feb. 25), the Marietta College track & field team had its final tune-up before next week's Ohio Athletic Conference Championships when it hosted the Marietta Open #2 inside the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center. Both the men (83.50 points) and women's (71.50 points) teams continued their recent success at the event and placed third in the final standings. West Virginia Wesleyan swept the competition with its women totaling 159.50 points and its men collecting 141.50 points.

In addition to the overall success of the program, there were seven school records set Saturday evening, six by the women and another by the men.

Freshman Leslie Pyle (Kansas City, Mo./Pembroke Hill) broke the school record in the 55m hurdles with a second place finish in the preliminaries. Pyle ran the race in 9.27 seconds and eventually placed seventh in the finals. The previous record, 9.33 seconds, was set by teammate Mallory Sinoski (Fairpoint/St. Clairsville) in 2005.

Sinoski, a sophomore, collaborated with sophomore Joanna Ferrell (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South), sophomore Cayli Cummons (Parkersburg, W.Va.) and freshman Jessica Haas (Winchester/Eastern Brown) to set a new school record in the 4x200m relay. The group finished sixth (1:55.17) and topped their time of 1:56.15 from two weeks ago.

After weeks of tying her school record of 10-00.00 (3.05m) in the pole vault, junior Fizzy Ramsey (Danville, Ky./Boyle) broke that standard with a first place finish Saturday. Ramsey cleared 10-06.00 (3.20m).

Sophomore Marissa Barnhart (Avon) returned from an injury to set a new school record in the long jump. Barnhart leaped 15-11.00 (4.85m) to take third place.

Freshman Tiffany Kovacevich (Strongsville) continued to excel in the shot put Saturday, breaking her own school record from two weeks ago (37-08.00/11.48m). Kovacevich's toss of 37-09.50 (11.52m) allowed her to place third in the event.

Sophomore Breanne Kosar (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) also tied her school record in the women's high jump. Kosar tied the winner with a jump of 5-02.00 (1.57m) but was given second place after a judge's decision, which is based on missed jumps.

The men's new record came in the weight throw, when senior Eric Finn (Shelby) topped his previous school-best with a throw of 48-03.25 (14.71m). Finn's old record, 45-11.25 (14.00m) was set in 2005.

In addition to the record, a number of Pioneers also had top-three performances at the meet. Haas' placed third in the women's 400m dash (1:04.94), Seth Townsend (Belleville, W.Va./Parkersburg South) won the men's high jump (6-06.00/1.98m) and placed third in the triple jump (41-10.75), while senior Chad Showen earned third in the men's pole vault (13-05.75/4.11m). The men's 4x400m relay team, which consisted of Isiah Johnson (Englewood, N.J./Horace Mann), Jason Cocca (Middleburg Heights/Midpark), Jered Mitchem (Marietta/Warren Local) and Tim Roberts (Worthington/Thomas Worthington), also ran to a third place finish with a time of 3:38.67.

Marietta will find out early next week who will qualify for the OAC Championships, which are being hosted by Ohio Northern Friday and Saturday (Mar. 3-4). Once the performance list is announced, that information will be passed on.

Junior Fizzy Ramsey set a school record en route to a first place finish in the women's pole vault

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