Pioneer track & field takes first place at Mount St. Joseph Open II
Freshman Larrison runs down another school record

Apr. 21, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Marietta College track & field team traveled to the College of Mount St. Joseph Friday (Apr. 21) to compete at its Lions Open II against the Northern Kentucky, Hanover and host Mount St. Joseph. The Pioneers dominated both the men and women’s competition and left a team title and multiple first-place finishes. Marietta’s women compiled 257 points, while the men totaled 171.50.

For the second straight week, freshman Jessi Larrison (Batavia) etched her name into Marietta’s outdoor record book; this time she broke the school record in the 1,500m dash, which had stood for 20 years. On Friday, Larrison, the school-record holder in the 800m dash (outdoors) and 300m dash (indoors), set her sights on the Tina Whitney’s 1986 1,500m dash record (4:55.0). The freshman cruised to a first place finish and crossed the line in 4:54.60 to break the record.

Larrison also took first place in the 200m dash (28.50) and was a member of the first place 4x400m relay team (4:22.76), which also included freshmen Jessica Haas (Winchester/Eastern Brown)and Leslie Pyle (Kansas City, Mo./Pembroke Hill) and junior Brea Gardner (Somerset/Sheridan).

Haas added an individual first place finish in the 400m dash (1:02.63).

Marietta sophomore Mallory Sinoski (Fairpoint/St. Clairesville) picked up a pair of sprint victories Friday evening. Sinoski won the 100m dash (13.51) and the 100m hurdles (16.61).

Sinoski teamed up with Joanna Ferrell (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South), Cayli Cummons (Parkersburg, W.Va.) and Marissa Barnhart (Avon) to win the 4x100m relay (52.86).

The Pioneers’ female field athletes won every field event but one Friday. Sophomore Breanne Kosar (Wheeling, W.Va./Park) won the high jump (1.53m). Junior Fizzy Ramsey (Danville, Ky./Boyle) finished first in the pole vault (3.05m). Barnhart took the title in the long jump (4.85m). Freshman Melissa Schulte (Pemberville/Eastwood) placed first in the triple jump (10.18m). Freshman Tiffany Kovacevich (Strongsville) won the shot put (10.74m). Sophomore Alecia Benninger (Akron/Springfield) captured first place in the hammer throw (31.80). In addition, junior Kelly Rucker (Rocky River) won the javelin (29.55m) by throwing a new personal record.

The men had six first place finishes Friday. Freshman Seth Townsend (Bellville, W.Va./Parkersburg South) won the high jump (1.88m). Senior Chad Showen (Parkersburg, W.Va./South) took first in the pole vault (4.11m). Freshman Kevin Cox (Belpre) won the shot put (13.18m). Sophomore Dan DeZordo (Louisville/Marlington) finished first in the discus (40.50m). Senior Eric Finn (Shelby) captured first place in the hammer throw (37.41m). Freshman Michael Pankowski (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) took first place in the javelin (47.77m).

In addition to the first place finishes, there were five men that set personal records: Cox in the hammer throw (35.38), senior Kyle Hummel (Indiana, Pa./Indian Area) (qualified for the OAC Championships) in the 3,000m steeplechase (10:38.17), freshman Joseph Wynes (East Aurora, N.Y.) in the 3,000m steeplechase (10:55.00), sophomore Harrison Potter (Rochester, N.Y./Gate Chili) in the 5,000m run (16:08.57) and sophomore John Hull (Scott Depot, W.Va./Winfield) in the 5,000m run (16:12.63).

Marietta returns to action Saturday (Apr. 29), when it competes at Baldwin-Wallace’s Sparky Adams Invitational. Action begins at 8 a.m. with the hammer throw, while the rest of the competition is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.

Freshman Mallory Sinoski won both the 100m dash and 100m hurdles Friday

Men's Results (.pdf)

Women's Results (.pdf)