Marietta's DeZordo wins the discus at Wake Forest Open Invitational
Marietta continues to improve in 2006

Mar. 25, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina — Head Coach Derek Stanley and his Marietta College track & field team wrapped up the southern portion of its 2006 outdoor schedule at the Wake Forest Open Invitational Friday and Saturday (Mar. 24-25) afternoon.

Despite the event not being scored, the Pioneers had another solid showing against a wide range of competition. Marietta had one individual champion — sophomore Dan DeZordo, who took first place in the men's discus event.

"This has been a good start to the outdoor season," Stanley said. "We haven't let up at all from indoors and the addition of events in outdoors only helps us become a stronger team."

DeZordo out performed 24 competitors in the event, but needed his final throw to do so. DeZordo clinched the title with a toss of 151-06 (46.17m); it was his best throw of the season.

There were many other noteworthy performances at the event.

Sophomores Joanna Ferrell (13.34), Cayli Cummons (13.65) and Mallory Sinoski (13.89) all set season bests in the 100 meter dash.

Freshman Leslie Pyle (3rd/16.40), Sinoski (4th/16.56) and Cummons (5th/16.59) all ran their best 100 meter hurdle races of the season and qualified for the All-Ohio and OAC Championships.

Freshman Jessica Haas ran a season's best in the 400 meter dash (1:03.0) and placed ninth.

Freshman Jessi Larrison set a new personal record in the 1,500 meter run (4:59.24) and also ran her second fastest time of the year in the 800m run (2:26.61). She placed sixth in both events.

Freshman Melissa Schulte also qualified for the upcoming All-Ohio Championships and the season ending OAC Championships with her performance in the triple jump. Schulte took second with a jump of 34-06.75 (10.53m).

The duo of freshman Tiffany Kovacevich and sophomore Alecia Benninger set new personal records in both the shot put and hammer throw. Both qualified for All-Ohio and OAC's after taking fifth (37-10.50/11.54m) and sixth (37-05.75/11.42m), respectively in the shot put. Kovacevich also set a personal record in the discus (103-11/31.67m) and took seventh.

Junior Rachelle Cole, who was competing in her first collegiate meet, qualified for the OAC Championships with a seventh place finish (92-04/28.15m) in the javelin.

Freshman Isiah Johnson ran a season's best in the 400 meter dash (52.5) and took 18th.

Freshman Jered Mitchem qualified for All-Ohio by running a season best in the 800 meter dash (1:58.38). He finished 10th in the event.

Senior Clark Spears set a new personal best in the 3,000 meter run (9:15.60) and placed eighth. Sophomore John Hull (9:35.10) also ran a personal best in the event and took 16th overall. He then tied his personal best in the 5,000 meter run (16:27.6) a short time later and placed 10th.

Junior Andrew Wichie ran his second fastest 5,000 meter run ever (17:01.8) and came in 14th place.

Junior Tim Roberts qualified for All-Ohio and the OAC Championships with his performance in the 400m hurdles. Roberts ran a 58.5 and took seventh; it was his third best race ever.

DeZordo (44-07.00/13.59m), freshman Derek Carpenter (44-4.25/13.52m) and freshman Brian Pallini (44-04.25) took second, third and fourth, respectively, in the shot put. Each had All-Ohio and OAC Championship qualifying marks.

Senior Eric Finn took fifth with his second best hammer throw mark ever (138-08/42.27m), while senior Raj Sharan set a new personal best in the event (115-03/35.14m) and finished 11th.

Marietta will return to action Saturday (Apr. 1) when it competes against Baldwin-Wallace, Heidelberg, John Carroll, Mount Union and Otterbein at the OAC Black Meet. It will be hosted by Otterbein.

Dan DeZordo won the discus at the Wake Forest Invitational Saturday

Results