Track and field teams open 2004 season at Defiance

The Olivet College outdoor track and field teams opened the 2004 season today by participating in the Dick Small Invitational hosted by Defiance (Ohio) College. The Fighting Comets finished in seventh-place (out of 12) teams, and the Lady Comets were ninth.

The men had 12 top-ten finishes. In running events, senior Josh Toussaint (Lansing Sexton High School) was third in the 100-meter dash (11.07 seconds) and fifth in the 200-meter dash (22.88 seconds). Freshman Ruel Haughton (Detroit Osborn High School) clocked in with a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter dash (11.07).

Haughton and Toussaint teamed up with freshmen Kemp Luchie (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Northern High School) and Casey Redfield (Shepard High School) for a second-place finish in 4x100 meter relay (44.48 seconds).

In addition, sophomore Jeremy Shephard (Kalamazoo/Mattawan High School) was second in the 5000-meter run (16:15.20) and freshman Marcus Robinson (Albion High School) recorded a 10th-place finish in the 110-meter high hurdles (17.90 seconds).

In field events, freshman Robert Horton, Jr. (Charlotte High School) had three top-ten finishes – third in the discus (41.54 meters), fifth in the shot put (12.92 meters) and ninth in the javelin (31.64 meters). Joe Cox (Flint/Carmen-Ainsworth High School), Jake Casey (Petersburg Summerfield High School) and Josh Beischer (Capac High School) were sixth, eighth and 10th, respectively in the shot put. Al Olds (Kingsley High School) placed eighth in the javelin.

The Lady Comets had four top-ten finishes, including two school record-breaking performances.

Leading the way was freshman Sheena West (Kalamazoo/Plainwell High School), who broke the school record in the 100-meter hurdles and long jump. She was second in the long jump with a 4.81 meter leap and fifth in the hurdles with a time of 16.89 seconds. Sophomore Rebecca Dawson (Williamsburg/Elk Rapids High School) clocked in with a 10th-place finish in the 5000-meter run (20:28.40).

Sophomore Courtney Ivan (Belleville High School) had the only top-ten finish in the field events. She was eighth in the javelin (28.24 meters).

The Comets begin Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association competition on Wednesday, April 31, at Tri-State (Ind.) University. The scores against Tri-State will be treated as non-league. Adrian College is also competing with the scores being counted in the MIAA standings. Action begins at 2 p.m.