Marietta track & field competes well at 2008 All-Ohio Championship
Spencer sets record in 400m Hurdles and McDonald sets record in 10,000m Run

April 12, 2008
DELAWARE, Ohio — The Marietta College track & field teams traveled to Ohio Wesleyan University Saturday (April 12) afternoon for the 2008 Division III AAll-Ohio Championship, which featured representatives from the Ohio Athletic, Heartland Collegiate Athletic and North Coast Athletic conferences. The Pioneer women used 12 individual top 10 performances to collect 52 points and place sixth, their highest finish ever at the meet. Marietta’s men had nine individual top 10 performances and finished in 10th place with 28 points on Saturday. Baldwin-Wallace (120.50) captured the women’s title, while host Ohio Wesleyan (103.50) won the men’s title.

Senior Sheena Spencer (Marietta/Parkersburg) took home Marietta’s only individual title and did so in a dramatic fashion. Spencer won the 400m Hurdles, crossing the line in 1:05.27, which broke Liisa Nichols’ 1987 school record of 1:06.07.

Sophomore Shannon McDonald (Lorain/Amherst Steele) also set a school record at the meet. She ran the 10,000m Run in 40:20.44, which broke her own record in the event. McDonald, who set the previous record last year, finished seventh.

Sophomore Randi Robertson (Avon Lake) took third place in the 1,500m Run, finishing in a personal record 4:53.99. Junior Jessi Larrison (Batavia) placed third in the 800m Run, covering the distance in a season’s best 2:18.92. Robertson also finished in the top 10 of the event, taking 10th with a time of 2:26.94. In addition, senior Mallory Sinoski (Fairpoint/St. Clairsville) ran a season’s best in the 100m Hurdles (16.30 seconds) and place seventh.

Junior Tiffany Kovacevich (Strongsville) had the highest finish of the women’s field participants. She took runner-up in the Hammer Throw with a mark of 42.96m (140-11). Kovacevich also finished fifth in the Shot Put after throwing 11.38m (37-04.00). Senior Rachelle Cole (Sherrodsville/Conotton Valley) placed sixth in the Hammer Throw with a mark of 40.04m (131-09) and then took eighth in the Javelin Throw with a mark of 32.56m (106-10). Senior Breanne Kosar (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) finished third in the High Jump after clearing 1.53m (5-00.25). Freshman Olivia Holiday (Malta/Morgan) also had a top 10 finish when she placed sixth in the Pole Vault, clearing a height of 3.00m (9-10.00).

Junior Derek Carpenter (Belpre) was the top-placing men’s athlete. He took third in the Hammer Throw with a mark of 44.54m (146-01.) Two other Pioneers—junior Brian Pallini (Medina) and senior Dan DeZordo (Louisville/Marlington)—placed in the top 10 of the event. Pallini finished sixth with a mark of 42.65m (139-11), while DeZordo was seventh with a mark of 42.39m (139-01.). Pallini also took ninth in the Shot Put with a toss of 13.71m (44-11.75), while DeZordo was seventh in the Discus Throw with a toss to 42.34m (138-11).

Freshman Justin Floyd (Redford, Mich./Redford Union) had two top 10 placements. He took fifth in the Triple Jump with a personal-record mark of 12.88m (42-03.25) and then eighth in the High Jump after clearing 1.82m (5-11.50). Freshman Seth Beckner (Red House, W.Va./Buffalo) had another top 10 finish when he took fifth in the Pole Vault after successfully vaulting a height of 4.10m (13-05.25).

Junior Jered Mitchem (Marietta/Warren Local) was one of two Marietta athletes to place in the running events. Mitchem ran a season’s best 1:57.40 in the 800m Run and took fourth. Freshman Matt Hickman (St. Marys, W.Va.) tied for ninth in the 100m Run, crossing the line in 11.26 seconds.

Marietta is back in action on Saturday (April 19) when the Pioneers participate in the Wilmington College Invitational, their final tune-up for the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championship, which will also be hosted by Wilmington on April 25-26.

Senior Sheena Spencer set a school record and won the 400m Hurdles

Men's Results

Women's Results