Wertman breaks Earlham record at Intercollegiate
By Aleta Cox
The men’s track team found a little success this weekend at the Indiana Intercollegiate Track (Little State) competition at Indiana Wesleyan University, as senior Chris Shaw and junior Chad Wertman placed in their respective events, Wertman with a record-breaking throw.
Wertman’s toss of 53-6 1/2 was good enough for second place and also surpassed Earlham’s record of 52 1/2, thrown by Bill Newcomb ’68, a member of the Earlham Athletics Hall of Fame. Shaw placed third in the discus with a throw of 163-6.
“It felt great to break the record,” said Wertman. “That record has been on the record board since 1967 and to break a record that old is amazing and the feeling was amazing.”
Shaw and Wertman were the only two Quaker men to place at IWU. While both athletes provisionally qualified for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III National Championship in May with their current marks, both feel as though there is room for improvement in the following weeks of their season.
“I was disappointed in my mark because I wasn’t able to better my mark from the previous week,” said Shaw. “I’m looking forward to the competition this weekend at Manchester, and feel confident that I will be able to improve my provisional mark of 164-4. My overall goal is to move that mark to 170 for Nationals.”
Wertman and junior Ramona Hemmings were selected as North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week for their respective performances at the meet.
Just as they have had success throughout the season, Hemmings and sophomore Elizabeth Ross led the women’s squad, while junior Meredith Naugthon also provided additional points.
Hemmings took second place in triple jump with a distance of 35-10 1/2. Ross tied for sixth place in the high jump, with a height of 4-11 3/4. Naughton placed sixth as well, with a height of 9 1/4 in the pole vault.
“The Indiana Intercollegiate meet is always fun because there are so many schools there,” said Hemmings. “It’s a chance to really see how you compare to other athletes in your field. I love going to the meet every year and I am happy with how I preformed at this year’s meet.”
Track will continue their season at Manchester College Invite tomorrow, followed by the Outdoor Track Championships next weekend at Ohio Wesleyan University.
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