In their last meet before the outdoor conference championships, the Case Western Reserve University men's and women's track and field teams turned in solid performances at the 54th Annual Sparky Adams Invitational hosted by Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, on Friday and Saturday.
Competing against student-athletes from all three Divisions, the Spartan men's team placed third out of 12 schools with 102.0 points and the CWRU women's team placed fourth out of 16 teams with 83 points.
Case Western Reserve won three events at the meet. In the men's 110-meter hurdles, sophomore Joshua Park ran the fastest time, finishing in 15.56 seconds. Graduate student Peculiar Nzegbuna was the runner-up in 15.59 seconds, and graduate student Pierce Boucher placed fourth in 16.62 seconds. The Spartans swept the hurdling events with senior Yusuf Shaaban taking first in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55.54 seconds. Boucher placed fifth in 1:00.30. Senior Brett Callow was victorious in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.04 seconds, and he was the runner-up in the 100-meter dash in 10.96 seconds. In the shorter sprint, graduate student Keith Cartwright had the fifth-fastest time of 22.74 seconds.
Shaaban added a pair of additional top-five finishes, tying for fourth in the high jump after clearing 1.81 meters and helping CWRU place second in the 4x400-meter relay in 3:23.30. Joining him on the relay were sophomore Aaron Brula and first-years Nico Matt and Joel Jones.
In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, first-year Angel Zeferino crossed the line second in 11:11.38. Sophomore Josh Bates earned the bronze in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.44 seconds, and sophomore Connor Evans placed third in the triple jump by bounding 12.60 meters.
First-year Jacob Slater rounded out the top-five finishes by taking fourth in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.47.
The CWRU women's team earned most of its points in the field, including taking three of the top four spots in the hammer throw. Senior Ailean Duffie placed second in the event with a toss of 45.68 meters, junior Rachel Ginn was third with a throw of 45.24 meters, and sophomore Michelle Lee finished fourth by recording a mark of 43.98 meters.
In the javelin throw, junior Lauren Roskuszka placed second with a throw of 37.97 meters, and sophomore Madison Martinez finished fifth by tossing the implement 31.75 meters. Senior Adrienne Wachtman placed fourth in the shot put with a throw of 12.01 meters.
Two Spartans placed in the top five in the triple jump. Senior Emily Hopkins was second after bounding 10.92 meters, and junior Jordan Su had the fifth-best mark of 10.46 meters.
On the track, sophomore Ayla Grabenbauer helped the Spartans earn a pair of top-three finishes. She was the runner-up in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:47.79, and she joined senior Elise Moore, junior Marquis Globokar, and sophomore Melanie Taylor for the 4x400-meter relay, placing third in 4:09.15.
In the 100-meter hurdles, sophomore Grace Misiunas finished fourth with a finals time of 15.69 seconds.
The Spartan track and field teams will next head to Pittsburgh for the University Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Carnegie Mellon University at Gesling Stadium on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28.
