Matt Klonowski

Carolyn Webster

The College of Wooster track & field program won three event titles, earned 12 all-conference certificates, and the men improved six spots from last year's finish, as the Fighting Scots capped an impressive North Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships with a third-place men's finish and a fifth-place women's finish on Saturday at Kenyon College's Wilder Track.

Wooster, which last finished in the top three at the NCAC Outdoor Championships in 2003, had the top times in the men's 400 and 800 meters on Saturday. First-year William McMichael, who won the indoor 400, swept the event for the year with a 49.40 on Saturday. Sophomore Matt Klonowski was equally as impressive in the 800 meters, where his 1:54.27 held off Ohio Wesleyan University's Darcy Isaiah's 1:54.59.

Klonowski had plenty of backing in the 800, as that's where 18 of the Scots' 113 points came from. Senior Simon Weyer crossed fifth at 1:59.48, and not far behind him were junior Aedan Pettit (6th, 2:02.21) and senior Brian Lief (8th, 2:09.04).

Noteworthy, Wooster's 113 points marked the most since the Scots tallied up 140 at the 1998 championships.

Sticking with the men, senior David Westcott was second to cross in the 5,000 meters at 14:50.82, with that time ranking just over five seconds behind DePauw University's Paul Christian's winning pace of 14:45.50.

In the field events, senior Jack Petrecca cleared 6 feet, 5.5 inches on his second try, and that was good for a second-place showing in the high jump. Junior Spencer Wilson measured out at 158 feet in the hammer throw, which propelled the standout thrower to all-conference laurels and a third-place finish.

Wooster's third-place 4x100 relay rounded out the men's all-conference performers. Sophomore Drake Pence, first-year Kristian Coleman, McMichael, and senior Justin Fox jump-started Saturday's running events with a 42.80, which was within a second of the winning time of 41.99 turned in by Ohio Wesleyan.

Senior Carolyn Webster – the NCAC Field Athlete of the Year and the meet's high scorer – won the long jump at 18 feet, 3 inches to headline Saturday's women's results. That upped the four-year standout's all-conference haul to 20 certificates, and only W Association Hall of Famers Univer Bukhala '88 (28) and Stephanie Kazmierski '88 (24) earned more during their careers. Earlier Saturday, Webster topped out at 5 feet, 2.5 inches, which earned her a third-place showing in the high jump.

Junior Akwia Tilton emerged as the most decorated Scot on the weekend with four all-conference certificates, and she now has 11, eight of which came this year. Tilton saved her best for last, with the junior anchoring Wooster's runner-up 4x400 relay that crossed at 4:05.77. Senior Emani Kelley, first-year Maya Vasta, and junior Audrey Cordova rounded out the all-conference quartet.

Junior Korri Palmer, Vasta, first-year Claudia Partridge, and Tilton opened Saturday's running events with a 50.15, which held as a third-place clip in the 4x100. Individually, Tilton crossed third in the 200 (50.15) and 400 (59.199) meters.

Other top-five finishes were logged by first-year Isabelle Hoover (5,000 meters), sophomore Georgia Hopps-Weber (pole vault), Vasta (400-meter hurdles) and Webster (100-meter hurdles).

Wabash College cruised to the men's championship with 209 points, while Oberlin College captured the women's title with 211 points.