Heidelberg Track to Participate in OAC Championships
The Heidelberg College track and field team, under the guidance of Kevin Lucas, will be competing in the Ohio Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend (March 7-8) at Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio.
Heidelberg goes into the OAC meet leading its competition in nine events. Judy Bataille’s (Felicity, Ohio / Felicity-Franklin) mark in the 55-meter dash and her 41.94 mark in the 300-meter dash from earlier in the season have her sitting atop her competition. She also joined teammates Angela Zellner (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg), Colleen Nitchman (Wakeman, Ohio / Western Reserve), and Catie Evers (Burkettsville, Ohio / St. Henry) in the 4x200-meter relay where they set a new school record and league-leading time of 1:45.55 previously in competition this year. Bataille, Zellner, Evers, and Jamie Depinet (New Riegel, Ohio / New Riegel) top the league in the 4x400 relay as well. They set yet another school record when they finished the race in 4:01.06 at the Otterbein OAC Qualifier meet on February 29.
The men have three individuals and two relays teams currently standing in the top spot in the conference. Julius Higginbotham’s (Elyria, Ohio / Elyria) long jump length earned him his spot, while Cory Beebe (Medina, Ohio / Cloverleaf) and Wes Hendricks (Beavercreek, Ohio / Beavercreek) earned their top billings in the 300-meter and 400-meter dashes respectively as well as in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays. Beebe ran the 300-meter dash in a time of 35.50 at the Oiler Open on December 1 to lead the league, while Hendricks posted a time of 50.03 in the 400-meter dash at the OAC qualifying meet. Beebe and Hendricks joined teammates Justin Zuchowski (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick) and Mark Childs (New Albany, Ohio / New Albany) on the provisionally qualifying 4x400 relay team, while Beebe, Hendricks, Zuchowski, and Higginbotham teamed up at the All-Ohio meet for a OAC-leading time of 1:30.04 in the 4x200.
The OAC Championships begin at 1:30 p.m. on Friday and tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for non-OAC students, while OAC students receive admittance free of charge. Additional meet info can be at www.otterbein.edu/athletics/OACtrack08/default.htm.