Junior All-American runner Geoff Lambert got the 2007 indoor track and field season off to a good start Saturday, meeting the NCAA national provisional qualifying time for the 800-meter run. Lambert won the event with a time of 1:53.60, nearly two seconds faster than the provisional mark of 1:55 and less than a second away from the automatic qualifying mark of 1:52.90.
Lambert's accomplishment wasn't enough to give the Little Giant team a victory in Saturday's dual meet at Rose-Hulman, however. Wabash lost 66-65 to the Fighting Engineers in the opening meet of the season.
Freshman Emmanuel Aouad made his debut in spectacular fashion. The Terre Haute, Indiana native won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.52, defeating not only the Rose-Hulman runner in the finals, but topping six athletes from Indiana State University also participating in the meet in competition against Illinios State University. Aouad took fourth overall in the long jump, trailing only Illinois State and Indiana State competitors after finishing with a mark of 21-10.
Juniors Bart Banach and Mike Russell were among the top finishers in the 60-meter dash. Banach took third overall in the race with a time of 7.17, while Russell was fifth (7.26). The pair took the top-two spots, however, in the dual meet portion, losing only to the Division I runners. Russell took fifth in the 200-meter dash, finishing in 23.26 just an eyelash ahead of Banach in sixth (23.27).
Hugh Jackson turned in one of his best career times in the mile, finishing sixth overall with a time of 4:26.01. Fellow distance runner Dennis Frazee was ninth in the 3000 meters (9:13.27).
Wabash will compete at home this Saturday. The Little Giants will host several teams at the annual Wabash Alumni Invitational, beginning at noon in the Knowling Fieldhouse.