Cedarville swarms the track and field home opener

By Matt Schaeckenbach 

The Yellow Jackets swarmed the finish line at the Cedarville Collegiate Invite, with wave after wave of golden jerseys sweeping across the line ahead of the competition. After getting their first taste of competition back in December at the Wittenberg Opener, the Yellow Jackets returned to their home turf after a long Christmas break. 

They did so in dominant fashion, with the men winning the meet handily with 234 points–nearly doubling the second-place team from Kentucky State. The women also took the title, beating out Central State and racking up 181 points as a team.

On top of that, Cedarville took the crown in seventeen events on the night, breaking three school records in the process. These were highlighted by sophomore sensation, Josh Paul, who propelled himself to a record-setting jump with a powerful first phase. But the first phase is the easy part—transitioning through from the second phase is what separates good jumpers from great ones. 

Landing in his second phase, Paul absorbed the equivalent of a one-ton rhinoceros on his leg before powerfully pushing off into the final phase, soaring through the air and spraying sand as he landed in the pit. The jump measured 14.81 meters (48’7.12”), shattering his own school record–broken at the previous meet–by nearly a foot. 

But Paul’s performance was just the icing on the cake. The defining factor for Cedarville’s 

dominance was its depth. 

The Yellow Jackets had three events: the 60m hurdles, the men’s mile and the women’s mile, where they took the first five places, racking up 33, 36 and 39 points respectively in each of these events for the team. Cedarville also had multiple events where it placed two athletes in the top three. 

This level of depth is a crucial component for championship teams in track and field. As the Yellow Jackets charge ahead into the heart of the indoor season, depth will be a key factor in determining their placement at the GMAC Conference Championships held in Ashland, Ohio, on Feb. 27-28. 

Sophomore high jumper Nehemiah Barrett–securing his first Division II provisional qualifying mark for the national meet this Friday–commented on these team goals.

“We have a lot of camaraderie,” Barrett said. “We work well together.” 

He emphasized the need to score points “across the board” if the team wants to have a shot at the GMAC title. 

Head Coach Jeff Bolender was also happy with his athletes’ performance at the meet.

“This was an excellent start for us,” Bolender said. 

At such an early point in the season, the number of personal and school records falling proves that this Cedarville track and field team is out to do something special this season. 

But it’s not by their own strength that they move forward. Bolender emphasized that they “Thank God for the results” at this opening meet. Ultimately, Cedarville track and field wants to demonstrate excellence on the track, but more importantly, they want to demonstrate faithfulness to God’s call as they steward their gifts for His name and for His glory.  

The Yellow Jackets will be back on the track next week at the Wittenberg Showcase in Springfield, Ohio, on Jan. 31, facing some of the best competition in the region. 

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.