Liz Fridley

The College of Wooster men's and women's track & field teams kicked off their 2011 seasons with solid fifth- and sixth-place finishes at the annual North Coast Athletic Conference Relays, hosted by Oberlin College Saturday. Most of the squads in the nine-team league had already competed, while Wooster was making its debut.

The Fighting Scots' women's team put up 67 points, just 12 shy of second-place Oberlin (79), and Ohio Wesleyan University won with 107. Of the traditional relays, Wooster's best finish was third-place in the distance medley, as the team of Erin Plews-Ogan, Chelsea Fisher, Kelsie Herring, and Meredith Shaul covered it in 13:10.86.

The highest individual showing was Abena Boamah-Acheampong with a runner-up in the high jump, easing into the new year with a height of 5 feet, 1 inch, and freshman teammate Camille Schwartz complemented her via a seventh-place effort (4 feet, 9 inches). Also in the field, Miriam Wise garnered fourth in the triple jump (29 feet, 8 inches) and sixth in the long jump (13 feet, 7 inches), while Veronique Jones went fifth in the shot put (33 feet, 0.25 inches) and sixth in the weight throw (35 feet, 5 inches).

Additional top-eight performances included Jensen Buchanan, who came in sixth in the 55 hurdles (10.34), followed by teammate Liz Fridley in eighth (12.41), Stephanie McShane with a seventh-place in the 55 meters (7.83), and Sarah Appleton, who took eighth in the 5000 meters (19:44.50).

The Scots' men's squad turned in sixth-place finishes in three of the relays as part of its 37-point day. Individually, Josh Kime stood out as the senior thrower earned fifth in the shot put (42 feet, 2 inches) and seventh in the weight throw (39 feet, 6 inches), while freshmen pole vaulters Jay Marshall and David Brew came in sixth (10 feet, 11.75 inches) and seventh (10 feet), respectively, during their collegiate debuts. On the track, Ethan Deselem sprinted to seventh in the 55 meters (6.89).

Wooster's track season continues next Saturday with the Ohio Northern University Invitational.