The College of Wooster track & field program tuned up for next week's North Coast Athletic Conference Championships at Friday's non-scoring meet hosted by Kenyon College. Wooster squared off with Kenyon on the men's side, while a trio of Ashland University women competed alongside the Fighting Scots' women's team due to COVID protocols sidelining the Ladies on Friday.

Sophomore Dylan Garretson was unopposed in Friday's pole vault, but that did not stop him from trying to up his school record. Garretson cleared the opening height of 14 feet on his first try, then needed two attempts to eclipse the 15-foot progression. He unsuccessfully made it over the bar at 15 feet, 10 inches. On the women's side, senior Morgan Kromer logged a new collegiate best of 10 feet, 11.75 inches, and vaulted up to fourth within the NCAC in the event this winter.

Senior Will McMichael, the two-time defending NCAC indoor 400 meters champion, saw his time trend in the right direction with a 51.13 on Friday. That time is currently second within the NCAC this winter. Sophomore Athena Tharenos improved her 800 meters time to 2:22.40, with that also rating as second-best within the NCAC.

Within events with competitors from both Wooster and Kenyon, senior Alex DeLong broke the tape in the 800 meters (1:57.55), first-year Will Callender led a field of 15 to the finish in the mile (4:35.17), the quartet of junior Joe Shilts, senior Nick Scherson, junior Craig Akiri, and senior Harvey Briscoe beat out Kenyon 1:35.70 to 1:38.54 in the 4x200 relay, Shilts, Scherson, first-year Ben Nichols, and McMichael ran away from Kenyon 3:37.52 to 3:58.61 in the 4x400 relay, and senior Troy Baughman took the long jump with a best leap of 18 feet, 3 inches.

Shilts' 9.19 led the trio of Wooster entrants in the 60-meter hurdles, as did junior Luke Henke's clearance of 6 feet, 2.75 inches in the high jump. Senior Richie Pajak took the triple jump unopposed, with his best mark measuring out to 36 feet, 4.25 inches.

Sophomore Drew Patterson topped out at 5 feet, 3 inches in the high jump, winning the event over two Ashland contenders. Sophomore Ainsley Wiesner was Wooster's other champion on the night in an event contested by multiple institutions. She went 33 feet, 5.25 inches in the shot put.

The parade of all events with all Wooster entries saw Patterson win the 60-meter dash (8.49), sophomore Mary Sirois hurdle to a 10.21 in the 60-meters event, first-year Emily Munson take the 200 meters (29.40), first-year Igna Mendez cross the line first in the 400 meters (1:04.33), first-year Juli Fiori break the tape in the mile (6:10.29), and first-year Dylan Kretchmar lead the way in the 3,000 meters (10:48.36). Tharenos, junior Haley Bloom, Mendez, and Kretchmar teamed up for a 4:29.51 in the 4x400 relay.

First-year Natalie Tanner rounded out Wooster's winners. She led of trio of entries in the weight throw at 42 feet, 1.5 inches.

Next, six Scots – first-year Hayden Jacoby, sophomore Davis Patterson, first-year Vell Robinson, first-year Daysia Hargrave, senior Claudia Partridge, and senior Maya Vasta – get a jump start on the NCAC Championships at the NCAC Heptathlon and Pentathlon, hosted by Wooster. Action starts Saturday at 1 p.m. and continues on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Spectators are not permitted to the NCAC indoor track & field championship events, including the heptathlon and pentathlon.