Pioneers women take ninth and men tenth at Ohio Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships
Kosar and Larrison earn All-OAC honors in 2007

March 3, 2007
ADA, Ohio — The Marietta College track & field team wrapped up its competition at the Ohio Athletic Conference Indoor Championships Saturday (March 3) on the campus of Ohio Northern. The Pioneer women collected 26.5 points to place ninth, while the Marietta men finished tenth after totaling seven points.

The Lady Pioneers had a pair of All-Conference performers, which is awarded to the top three finishers in each event. Junior Breanne Kosar (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Central) took third in the high jump and sophomore Jessi Larrison (Batavia) placed second in the 800m run. Both are now two-time indoor All-OAC honorees in their career.
Overall, Mount Union claimed the men's title with 166 points, while Heidelberg (142 points) and Ohio Northern (111 points) finished second and third, respectively. On the women's side, Otterbein won the team championship with 139 points, while Baldwin-Wallace (132.50 points) placed second and Ohio Northern (108.50 points) was third.

Kosar, an All-OAC honoree in the high jump as a freshman in 2005, set a school record with her third-place performance event Saturday, clearing 5-03.25 (1.61m).

Larrison, who earned All-OAC honors in the 500m run last year, finished runner-up in the 800m run in 2007. She crossed the line in 2:20.13.

Sophomore Melissa Schulte (Pemberville/Eastwood) set a school record en route to a seventh place finish in the triple jump. She jumped 34-00.00 (10.36m).

Marietta's 4x400m relay, which included Larrison, freshman Sheena Spencer (Marietta), senior Brea Gardner (Sheridan/Somerset) and freshman Kristi Tims (Olmsted Falls), also set a school record Saturday. The relay took seventh with a time of 4:17.32.

In other action Saturday, Gardner took seventh place finish in the 500m run (1:22.84). Freshman Randi Robertson (Avon Lake) placed 11th in the mile run (5:27.99). Freshman Shannon McDonald (Lorain/Amherst Steele) was 14th in the 5,000m run (20:10.08). Sophomore Tiffany Kovacevich (Strongsville) finished sixth in the shot put (37-02.25/11.33m). In addition, the women's 4x200m relay, which featured junior Joanna Ferrell (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South), junior Mallory Sinoski (Fairpoint/St. Clairsville), sophomore Leslie Pyle (Kansas City, Mo./Pembroke Hill) and Tims, placed eighth with a time of 1:55.50.

Sophomore Jered Mitchem (Marietta/Warren Local) was the top finisher for the men's team at the Championships. Mitchem ran to a sixth place finish in the 800m run, crossing the line in a personal-best 1:58.83.

Sophomore Derek Carpenter (Belpre) also scored for the men, taking seventh in the shot put with a mark of 47-02.26 (14.38m), which was a personal record.

In addition, freshman Zach Gay (Elyria/Oberlin) placed seventh in the high jump, clearing 6-02.00 (1.88m).

The other point for the men came with an eighth place finish in the 4x200m relay. Mitchem, Gay, senior Tim Roberts (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) and freshman Anthony Dellamaggiore (McConnelsville/Morgan) combined to run a season's best 1:37.02.

Also competing Saturday, was senior John Hull (Scott Depot, W.Va./Winfield), who placed 14th in the 5,000m run (16:28.30); sophomore Brian Pallini (Belpre), who finished 12th in the shot put (44-06.25/13.57m); and junior Dan DeZordo (Louisville/Marlington), who took 13th in the shot put (43-09.75/13.35m). The men's 4x400m relay, which included Roberts, freshman Josh Mickle (Madison), Dellamaggiore and Mitchem, ran to a ninth place finish at the event, crossing the line in 3:37.87.

Marietta is now finished with its indoor season. A selection of the roster will be traveling to Coastal Carolina in South Carolina March 9-10 and Washington & Lee in Virginia March 16-17 during the school's Spring Break to compete outdoors. The entire team will be back in action March 23-24 at the Wake Forest Invitational.

Sophomore Jessi Larrison took second place in the 800m run at Saturday's OAC Championships

Championship site