William McMichael

Akwia Tilton

Granville, Ohio – The College of Wooster track and field teams did not take home the team trophies at the North Coast Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships this weekend, but they got a lot done with a number of All-NCAC accolades, school records and a win the men's 400 meter race.

The women finished fifth with 56 points as Ohio Wesleyan University took the women's crown with 175 points. The men snuck ahead of Allegheny for seventh by .20 points with a final point total of 43.45. Wabash College dominated the field with 209.79 points.

Sophomore William McMichael was named the Men's Sprint/Hurdles Athlete of the Year. He was the lone individual victor for the Scots, earning All-NCAC honors in the 400 meters. McMichael ran to a time of 49.75, breaking the school record set in 1992 by Eric Rogers (50.01). 

McMichael also became the first repeat winner the 400 since 2008-09 when Denison accomplished the feat.

McMichael also aided the men's 4x200 relay to All-NCAC honors as well. Mark Herron, Drake Pence and Kristian Coleman joined McMichael as their time of 1:32.15 broke the 2019 school record by .20 seconds.

The men's 4x400 team fell just short of All-NCAC honors as McMichael, Joe Shilts, Matt Olszewski and Aedan Pettit finished fourth, just .12 seconds off from third. However, their time of 3:27.98 set a new school record, which was another that had not been broken since 1992.

Herron was fourth in the 60 meters, improving upon the school record he broke in the preliminaries with a time of 7.11 seconds. 

For the women, senior Akwia Tilton, fresh off her basketball campaign, made a difference right away by securing All-NCAC honors in the long jump and the 4x200 relay.

Tilton was second in the long jump at 17 feet, 11.5 inches. She later teamed with Maya Vasta, Claudia Partridge and Korri Palmer for a second place finish in the 4x200 (1:47.66).

Vasta placed second in the 400 with a time of 1:01.05 for All-NCAC honors. She also was fifth in the 200 meters (26.97).

Vasta, Tilton, Audrey Cordova and Cobi Warstler later fell shy of All-NCAC recognition in the 4x400 with a fourth place time of 4:11.20.

Partridge placed fourth in the high jump at five feet, 4.5 inches. Second and third place also reached that height.

Junior Georgia Hopps-Weber placed seventh in the pole vault, making it over a height of 9 feet, 11.75 inches. Five women cleared that height with three tying in fourth place.

In the 3000 meter race, sophomore Kayla Bertholf finished fourth at 10:40.16. Classmate Isabelle Hoover followed in seventh at 10:51.23.

Elsewhere for the men, senior Miki Rae placed fifth in the 3000 meters with a time of 8:54.95.

First-year Luke Henke just missed out on All-NCAC honors in the high jump with a fourth place finish and a jump of 6 feet, 3.25 inches. Second and third place both reach that height but did so in fewer attempts.

Coleman was 11th in the long jump (19 feet, 10.75 inches). Conor Greene placed 13th in the shot put (39 feet, 6.5 inches).

Next weekend, Wooster will travel to Ada, Ohio for the Polar Bear Final Qualifier.

Sophomore William McMichael was named the NCAC Men's Sprint/Hurdles Athlete of the Year on Saturday. Photo by Abbi Tarburton '22.