Pioneers reach new heights at All-Ohio Indoor Track & Field Championship
Marietta women place fourth and men take sixth at statewide event

Feb. 14, 2009
WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Otterbein College was the center of Ohio's NCAA Division III track & field universe on Saturday (Feb. 14) when the Cardinals hosted the 2009 All-Ohio Indoor Championship. 20 institutions descended on Westerville for the highly competitive meet. Head Coach Derek Stanley's Marietta College squad rose to the challenge and finished with its highest placement in the six-year history of the competition. The Pioneer women collected 57.60 points to place fourth among 18 teams, while the Pioneer men totaled 39 points to finish sixth among 20 squads. A year ago, Marietta's women took 10th and the men placed 11th.

Ohio Northern University swept the competition. The Polar Bear women compiled 115.50 points to beat out Otterbein (84 points) and Capital University (72 points). Ohio Northern's men racked up 91 points to defeat Ohio Wesleyan University (75 points) and Heidelberg University (71.5 points).

Marietta was led by its seniors on Saturday, as Tiffany Kovacevich (Strongsville), Jessi Larrison (Batavia), Brian Pallini (Medina) and Sheena Spencer (Marietta/Parkersburg) combined to help the Pioneers score 55 points. In addition, the foursome accounted for all three individual titles and played a key role in five of the seven school records that were set at the meet.

"Our seniors, Sheena, Brian, Tiffany and Jessi really stepped up today," Stanley said. "Their results made me very proud."

Pallini had a huge day, as he set a school record in both the Weight Throw and the Shot Put. Pallini, who actually had the six best throws of the competition, won the Weight Throw with a NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark of 16.85m (55-03.50). He then took fourth place in the Shot Put with a school record mark of 14.97m (49-01.50).

Kovacevich placed runner up in the women's Weight Throw, unleashing a school record mark of 14.62m (47-11.75). She then took fifth in the Shot Put with a toss of 11.74m (38-06.25).

Spencer captured first place in the 400m Dash after crossing the line in a school record time of 59.39 seconds. Larrison then won the 800m Run by finishing in a season-best 2:21.77. Later, the duo teamed with junior Christi Tims (Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls) and freshman Corryn Muench (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) to help Marietta close out the meet with a second place finish in the 4x400m Relay. The Pioneers finished in a school record 4:05.73.

The men's 4x200m Relay, which featured freshmen Jayshon Irvin (Vero Beach, Fla./Sebastian) and Ryan Householder (Frazeysburg/Tri-Valley) and sophomores Matt Hickman (St. Mary's, W.Va.) and Anthony Williams (Columbus/Bishop Hartley), set a school record while finishing second overall. The Pioneers crossed the line in 1:32.62.

The men's 4x400m Relay, which included Williams, junior Cody Thomas (North Olmsted) and freshmen Chase Oberfield (Heath) and Alex Wynn (Cambridge), set the seventh school record on Saturday. They combined to place eighth in their event with a time of 3:30.81.

Marietta also received scoring from sophomore Olivia Holiday (Malta/Morgan) and freshman Kim Keesler (Chagrin Falls) in the women's Pole Vault. Holiday and Keesler both cleared 3.15m (10-04.00) to place fourth and fifth, respectively. Freshman Brittany Sims (Columbus/Eastmoor Academy) also took fourth place in the 55m Dash after crossing the line in 7.42 seconds. Sophomore Zach Gay (Elyria/Oberlin) placed fifth in the High Jump after clearing 1.93m (6-04.00). In addition, Irvin came within .01 of his school record in the 55m Dash and took second place after crossing the line in 6.50 seconds.

"In some ways, I don't like this meet because it puts too much emphasis on the early part of the season," Stanley said. "The positive is the competition. Competing against faster competition helps us run fast and motivates our athletes to represent Marietta with pride. They did that today."

Marietta returns to action on Friday (Feb. 20) evening when the Pioneers participate in the Rick Meindl Invitational, hosted by Capital University beginning at 5 p.m. It will be Marietta's first chance this season to compete at the location of the 2009 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championship, which is slated for March 6-7.

Senior Jessi Larrison won the 800m Run at the All-Ohio Championship.

Men's Results

Women's Results