The Case Western Reserve University men's and women's track and field teams wrapped up competition on Saturday afternoon at the Eighth-Annual CWRU Spartan Holiday Classic.
The men and women combined to total 13 first-place finishes at the meet, with the men contributing seven and the women tallying six.
First-year Nicolas Lende led the men as he placed first in the 400-meter dash (51.72) and finished second in the 200-meter dash (23.50). In addition, Lende teamed with junior Pierce Boucher, junior Will Dehmler and sophomore Michael Smoluk to claim the title in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:35.24.
Five other Spartan men tallied first-place finishes on Saturday, as Boucher won the 60-meter hurdles (8.85), Dehmler claimed the title in the 800-meter run (2:03.30), junior Ben Pinkowski placed first in the high jump (1.95m), junior Parker Straight claimed the title in the mile-run (4:33.50) and sophomore Jack Wragan placed first in the pole vault (4.10m).
The Spartan men also turned in eight other top three performances throughout the meet. Those performances included Pinkowski (second, 13.44m) in the triple jump, sophomore Yusuf Shaaban (third, 1.80m) in the high jump, junior Peculiar Nzegbuna (third, 8.88) in the 60-meter hurdles, Smoluk (third, 53.32) in the 400-meter dash, junior Keith Cartwright (third, 7.15) in the 60-meter dash, first-year Quaylen Lamarre (second, 3.95m) in the pole vault and Lende (second, 23.50) and Cartwright (third, 23.62) in the 200-meter dash.
For the women, sophomore Emily Hopkins claimed a pair of wins on Saturday as she placed first in the 60-meter hurdles (9.83) and in the triple jump (10.79m). Junior Mia Vargo won the high jump with a mark of 1.60 meters, sophomore Elise Moore claimed the title in the 400-meter dash (1:02.92) and junior Melissa Phung placed first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:28.82. In addition, the women's 4x400-meter relay team of Phung, Vargo, first-year Jordan Su and first-year Lalah Saleem placed first in the event with a time of 4:23.54.
Other top three performances for the women throughout the meet came from first-year Lauren Roskuszka (second, 4.92m) and Su (second, 4.92m) in the long jump, first-year Sarah Ozeki (second, 9.85) in the 60-meter hurdles, junior Victoria Zhao (third, 3.15m) in the pole vault, junior Cecelia Zielke (third, 5:35.11) in the mile-run, Su (third, 8.33) in the 60-meter dash, first-year Alyssa Storm (third, 2:40.75) in the 800-meter run and senior Elise Epstein (third, 11:17.47) in the 3,000-meter run.
The Spartans will continue their indoor season next Friday, as they travel to Youngstown, Ohio for the YSU Collegiate Holiday Classic. Action is slated to start at 2:00 p.m.
