'Berg Takes Home Runner-Up Honors at OAC Championships

The Heidelberg College men’s track and field team took home runner-up honors at the 2008 Ohio Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Otterbein College March 7-8. Sophomore Julius Higginbotham (Elyria, Ohio / Elyria) won the long jump and took third in the triple jump en route to being named the OAC Most Outstanding Field Athlete.

Ohio Northern University took home the team championship with 187 points, topping Mount Union College, the three-time defending champion. Heidelberg tallied 119 points in second followed by Mount Union with 114 points. Baldwin-Wallace College and host Otterbein rounded out the top-five with 70 and 67 points, respectively.

Higginbotham got the Berg on the board on Friday with a long jump championship and subsequent all-league accolades. Higginbotham leaped 23’8” to claim the title and along the way his mark also was a provisionally qualifying leap for the 2008 NCAA Championships March 14-15 in Ada, Ohio at Ohio Northern University. He also finished third in the triple jump with a leap of 44’2.5, which earned him All-OAC honors in both events.

Earning another individual championship and all-conference honors was freshman Wes Hendricks (Beavercreek, Ohio / Beavercreek) in the 400-meter dash. Hendricks crossed the finish line in 49.66, which also set a new Heidelberg school record in the process. Hendricks also stood second in the 300-meter dash (35.83).

Rounding out Heidelberg’s championships was its 4x200-meter relay team of Higginbotham, Paris Hilliard (Lorain, Ohio / Admiral King), Justin Zuchowski (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick) and Hendricks. The group crossed the finish line in a new school record of 1:30.72.

Taking home runner-up honors and all-league recognition was Greg Tyson Jr. (Lima, Ohio / Lima Senior) in the triple jump (46’0”) and Scott Lasch (Huron, Ohio / Huron) in the mile run (4:17.57) and the 3,000-meter run (8:48.70). Tyson’s leap also was a provisional qualifying mark for the national meet.

Hilliard and Eric Hoogeveen (Westerville, Ohio / North) each picked up All-OAC honors with a third in the 55-meter dash (6.57) and the 800-meter run (1:59.75), respectively, as well as Cory Beebe (Medina, Ohio / Cloverleaf) in the 55-meter hurdles (7.88).