Published: April 27, 2008 12:04 am         

Proud day for Maple Leafs

The Goshen College women’s track and field team achieved its highest finish ever in the Mid-Central Conference meet Saturday at the Eigsti Track and Field Complex on the GC campus.

The Maple Leafs placed third, bettering their previous best of fourth in 2004.

“We told the women that this is a different type of team,” Goshen coach Rick Clark said. “We have quality and we have some depth in areas that we have not had before.”

Bethel won the women’s team title with 217 points, followed by Indiana Wesleyan 187, Goshen 92, Marian 78 1/2, Huntington 65, Grace 53, Spring Arbor 50, Taylor 45 1/2 and Saint Francis 30.

“Our kids are all heart and desire,” Bethel coach Tony Natali said. “We could not have done any better. We left everything on the track.”

Indiana Wesleyan took the men’s title with 201 1/2 points, followed by Bethel 174 1/2, Taylor 173, Huntington 63, Goshen 59 1/2, Saint Francis 57, Marian 49 1/2, Spring Arbor 38 and Grace 1.

Goshen’s women were led by double winner junior Aubri Houser (Newton, Kansas) who took the 100 hurdles (14.81) and 400-meter hurdles (1:04.43). Her time in the 100 hurdles broke her own MCC record of 14.98 from 2007.

“Aubri had an outstanding meet,” Clark said. “She is running with confidence and is correcting some of the things that the had not been before.”

Goshen’s other champions were senior Katie Sowers (Hesston, Kansas) in javelin (129-2) and freshman Pennia Acayo (Kampala, Uganda) in high jump (5-2).

Freshman Rachel Mast placed fourth (110-5) and classmate Kelsey Herschberger (Fairfield High School graduate) seventh (101-1) in javelin.

“Javelin is as area we have not scored well in recently,” Clark said. “Today we not only win but scored three places.”

Also for Goshen, junior Deanna Kronk (NorthWood) was second in hammer (151-7) and seventh in shot put (36-11 /12) and freshman Erica Emanuel (GHS grad) sixth in the 200 (27.50).

“Kronk did not have one of her better days,” Clark said. “Yet she still set a school record in hammer and hit the national qualifying mark. She has been our leader in field events all season and that puts pressure on her.”

Bethel sophomore Jessie Spearman (Wawasee) finished second in the 400 (59.99) and third in the 200 (27.18) and freshman Beenne Capre (NorthWood) fourth in the 400 (1:00.79) and fifth in the 200 (27.42).

“Spearman has gotten stronger,” Natali said. “She has matured and is doing the things the coaches are asking of her. She is very coachable.”

Leading the GC Maple Leaf men were freshman Jon Miller (Wawasee) third in the 400 hurdles (56.54), senior Luis Robledo (GHS grad) fourth in pole vault (13-3), junior Kyle Laker (Wayland, Michigan) fourth in high jump (6-2), sophomore Justin Hochstetler (Orrville, Ohio) fourth in discus (153-6) and fifth in hammer (154-5).

“Our goal for the men was to finish halfway and that is what we did. There were four teams above us and four below us,” Clark said. “We had a lot of good efforts and a lot of personal bests.”

GC senior Nick Adkins (Fairfield) finished 12th in the 5,000 (16:21.28) and sophomore David Horst (GHS grad) eighth in the 110 hurdles (17.55).

For Bethel, senior Chris Warhop (Elkhart Memorial) second in the 100 (11.12) and third in the 200 (22.72), sophomore JJ Jackson (Elkhart Central) second in shot put (51-1) and third in hammer (164-11), sophomore Trent Chupp (Bethel) fifth in the 100 (11.50) and sophomore Bryce Matteson (Elkhart Memorial) eight in the 3,000 steeplechase (10:24.19).

Elias Rojas (West Noble) of Indiana Wesleyan was fourth in the 10,000 (33:31.0).