Track and Field takes off at the Wittenberg Opener

By Matt Schaeckenbach

After a long fall of training, the Cedarville Track and Field team got its first taste of competition at the Wittenberg Opener in Springfield, Ohio. The Yellow Jackets showed the team’s strength in an exciting outing at their first meet, securing six individual victories on the day, highlighted by two NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks from sophomores Summer Swartwout and Josh Paul.

Paul handily won the men’s triple jump at the meet, leaping to a distance of 14.56 meters (47’9.25”). This mark was a new Cedarville school record, shattering his previous record by more than a foot. Paul’s effort currently ranks him third in the Division II indoor national standings for this season.

Coming off a stellar outdoor campaign where he took second place at the GMAC championships, Paul is looking to make a statement this year. With such a promising opening meet, Paul shows no sign of slowing down as he pushes towards the 50 foot barrier in this event.

Joining Paul with another stellar performance on the track was sprint specialist Summer Swartwout, who ran her way to a school record time of 7.42 in the women’s 60 meter dash. This mark broke her own school record by nearly a tenth of a second—a staggering margin in the short sprint events.

However, it wasn’t an easy victory for Swartwout. Dayton freshman Simone Bessong challenged Swartwout to the finish line after a strong block start by both athletes. The two were even after 20 meters, but Swartwout’s top-end speed helped her pull ahead in the final stages, beating Bessong by six hundredths of a second.

Swartwout’s mark currently ranks second in the division in the national rankings as of December 6, falling just behind Anna Roessner of Hillsdale University—a fellow GMAC competitor.

Junior Brandon Rogers also set a Division II provisional qualifying standard in the 400 meter, running a time of 48.03 and placing third behind Wittenberg’s Jack Kittle and Cameron Elliott.

Along with these record-breaking performances were numerous standout showings from other Yellow Jackets. Andrew Suter won the pole vault with a height of 15 feet, and Calvin Speicher won the 60 hurdles comfortably with a time of 8.24. Additionally, Angela Williams won the women’s long jump, leaping to a distance of 5.51 meters (18’1”), and Sophia Schneider topped the women’s pole vault standings with a clearance at 3.65 meters (11’11.75”) on her first attempt. 

Along with these winners, Cedarville had many runner-up performances, including Eden Antrim in the mile, Nehemiah Barrett in the high jump, and the 4×4 squad of Rogers, Benore, Gerdin, and Braxton.

It was a strong showing for the Yellow Jackets in their season opener. Assistant Coach Max Kittle commented that it was a “Good first meet.” 

Kittle, a hurdler during his collegiate career, emphasized his excitement for the team’s hurdle crew, which sent four of its five athletes to the final on the day. 

“I am looking forward to seeing our excellent group of hurdlers continue to sharpen each other,” Kittle said. 

The Yellow Jackets will be taking a break from the track after a long fall of training, but will be back competing on January 23 for the Cedarville Collegiate Invite at the Doden Fieldhouse. 

Matt Schaeckenbach is a junior Liberal Arts major from Iowa City, Iowa. He loves spending time with friends, playing board games and encouraging others in Christ.