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Findlay, OH — With snow etching the trail nearly all the way to Findlay, Ohio, the Goshen College women’s track team opened its 2007 schedule in a heated way, claiming four school records at the annual University of Findlay Classic Saturday afternoon.
With nearly 1,200 competitors at the event representing institutions from all collegiate levels, it was Goshen’s eight-athlete squad that registered perhaps the biggest bang for the buck: The Leafs left indelible marks in the weight throw competition and the distance medley relay, all while setting records in a pair of competitive firsts in school history. Sophomore Abri Houser took home 2,745 points in the Pentathlon and freshman Tina Peters claimed first in the 3,000-meter race walk, becoming the first Goshen College athletes to compete in those events.
“This was our first indoor competition of the year and we started off with a great performance,” said Rick Clark, Goshen head coach. “We were able to get four new school records established as well as a couple of program-firsts. It’s early yet, but we are encouraged by our initial results.”
Perhaps most impressive on the day was Peters, who smashed the competition with a time of 15:09.22 in the race walk, bettering the NAIA national qualifying mark by better than three minutes. The 2006 National High School Race Walking Champion, Peters won the event by just under 19 seconds.
Peters did her work at nearby Cedarville University, as the Findlay Classic did not offer a race walking event. The Cedarville University Collegiate Indoor Invitational presented by the Ohio Army National Guard did.
“Tina became the first woman race walker for the Maple Leafs by winning the 3,000-meter race walk at the Cedarville Invite,” Clark said. “She is a very talented athlete in that event, and we will give her opportunities to showcase her abilities this year.”
Back at Findlay, it was Houser trying on a new event for size, finishing fourth in her group of 14 athletes in the pentathlon competition. Her point total ranked 18th out of 28 athletes in the preliminary round.
“Abri normally specializes in the hurdles, but she gave her first attempt at the pentathlon and earned 2,745 points to take fourth in her section of 15 athletes,” Clark said. “This established a school record for us in the event.”
Goshen was also boosted by a solid performance from its distance medley relay team, as the foursome finished third overall in a school-record time of 12:33.83. Sophomores Laura Harnish and Rachel Versluis teamed with senior Petrana Petkova and freshman Whitney Turner to edge out last season’s school mark of 12:42.45. Saturday’s time was also good enough for the NAIA national qualifying standard.
Sophomore Deanna Kronk rounded off the day’s best by shattering her old mark in the 20-pound weight throw, slinging the object a personal- and school record-best 45 feet, 3 inches. That mark outdid her old record of 42 feet, 11 inches (set last year).
“Deanna started her season off on the right foot with all three of her tosses in the weight throw being over the school-record mark she established last year,” Clark said. “When the dust settled her best toss measured 45 feet, 3 inches.”
Senior Laura Herr was the only other Goshen athlete to compete in the day’s events, finishing 11th in the 5,000-meter run in a time of 19:04.75. For a complete look at individual and team results from Findlay, click here. For detailed finishes at Cedarville’s event, click here.
Goshen will next compete at the Taylor University invite Saturday.
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Sophomore Rachel Versluis 