The Little Giants' 800-meter relay team set a new Wabash record in the event, helping boost the team to a second place finish at Saturday's North Coast Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Relays Meet held at Denison University.
The quartet of John Haley, Emmanuel Aouad, Jake Zielinski and Wes Chamblee finished second in the 800-meter relay with a time of 1:30.98, breaking the old Wabash school record of 1:312.82 set in 2008 by Mike Russell, Bart Banach, Richard Roomes, and Aouad. The Little Giants added another second place finish in the 3200-meter relay, edged out by 1/100th of a second. The Wabash team of Donavan White, Jake Waterman, Seth Einterz, and Kevin McCarthy finished the race in 8:01.20, an eyelash behind Ohio Wesleyan's winning time of 8:01.19.
The distance medley team of Einterz, Spencer Sheridan, Waterman, and McCarthy added a second place finish in another close finish, recording a time of 10:19.77, one second off the winning time of 10:18.76 posted by Allegheny.
The sprint medley relay tema made up of Austin Hodges, Andre Adeymi, Chet Riddle, and Micah Milliman grabbed third place with a time of 3:52.41, crossing the finish line just ahead of fourth-place Allegheny (3:52.59). The 1600-meter relay team of Zielinski, Haley, Garret Bonk, and Chamblee took third in that event with a final time of 3:27.54.
Freshman Matt Knox won individual honors in the pole vault, clearing 13 feet, 11-1/4 inches (4.25 meters) to take the top spot. He combined with teammate Sam Glowinski, who finished tied for third by clearing 3.95 meters or 12 feet, 11-1/2 inches, to win the relay title with a total height cleared of 26 feet, 10-3/4 inches (8.20 meters).
Aouad and Haley combined to finish second in the 55-meter hurdle relays. Aouad finished second overall with another NCAA provisional qualifying time, this time crossing the finish line in 7.71 behind Ohio Wesleyan's Steve Brown (7.67). Haley took fifth place with a time of 8.26, giving the duo a combined time of 15.97 seconds, only 2/100ths of a second behind OWU's winning combined time of 15.95. Auoad was also third in the long jump with a mark of 21 feet 1-1/4 inches (6.43 meters).
Justin Allen was fifth in the 5000-meter run (15:43.16), combining with Milliman for a relay time of 32:39.16 to take sixth place overall. Joe Granger (41 feet 2-1/2 inches; 12.56 meters) and Zach Helman (40 feet 6 inches; 12.34 meters) combined for third place in t he shot put relay.
Wabash scored a total of 76 points, trailing only relays champion Ohio Wesleyan's total of 104 points. Wittenberg (49), Oberlin (46), Wooster (37.5), Denison (37.5), Allegheny (34), Earlham (34), and Kenyon (13) completed the team scoring.
The Little Giants will compete in the Tiger Invitational Saturday at DePauw University.
Photo - Emmanuale Aouad hands the baton to Jake Zielinksi. The two runners were part of a school recording-setting effort in the 800-meter relay at Saturday's NCAC Relays in Granville, Ohio.