Cedarville strikes with record-breaking performances at Wittenberg

By Matt Schaeckenbach

Excellence in effort. It’s one of Cedarville University’s core values, and few teams do it better than the Yellow Jackets’ track and field program. It’s what fans have come to expect from the Cedarville track and field team this season. 

Just within the first two meets, the Jackets have broken four school records, including the women’s 60m, the men’s 60 hurdles, the men’s high jump and the men’s triple jump. 

It seems to happen every week; Cedarville rolls up to the competition, and more records fall. The Wittenberg Steemer Collegiate Meet proved to be no different, as two more school records fell for the men’s team. 

Junior phenom Brandon Rogers broke his own school record in the 400-meter dash, clocking a time of 47.51 seconds and shaving off just .06 from his previous record.

But the victory was far from easy. 

Rogers lined up against Wittenberg’s sophomore sensation, Jack Kittle–who had already beaten him earlier this season.

“I had to redeem myself from December,” Rogers said. “I knew it was my race from the start.”

When the gun went off, Rogers didn’t look back. Tearing across the track, he won the cut in and took the inside lane. Keeping up his powerful stride through the final curve, he raced towards the finish line. Kittle tried to counter, but Rogers was not to be denied his victory, as he crossed the line first, taking gold for Cedarville and a record for himself. 

The time currently ranks him 11th in the NCAA Division II standings. 

But Rogers wasn’t done after the 400. Nearly an hour later, he took back the track, racing in the 200–not his primary event. However, no one could tell that watching Rogers come out of the blocks. 

Rogers put some distance between himself and the field in the first few meters. After that, it was over.

His powerful stride carried him to a finishing time of 21.87, the second fastest time in Cedarville track and field history. 

But Rogers wasn’t the only one breaking records. Junior Caleb Sultan also broke his own school record in the 800 meter dash, running a 1:50.43–cutting nearly half a second off his previous record and ranking him 15th in Division II. 

Storming out of the gate, Sultan immediately gapped the rest of the field, with only the pacer sprinting in front of him. But even the pacer couldn’t keep up with Sultan’s speed, as he dropped out just after 300 meters and let the junior take over. 

Sultan looked like he was jogging as he clicked off a blazing 52 second first 400. Carrying his speed through to the end, Sultan finished a full three seconds ahead of the second place runner from Kenyon. 

“Very happy with the race,” Sultan said. 

After a grueling preseason of relentless training, Sultan is showing that he’s in the best shape of his life, and the elusive 1:49 barrier is looking well within reach for this superstar this season.  

“So thankful to God for giving me the gift of running and allowing me to run at this level,” Sultan said. 

While it’s all business for most runners, Sultan strives to use his abilities to glorify the Lord on and off the track. 

Other stellar performances included sophomore Andrew Suter in the pole vault, who shot himself over a 15’9” bar. Suter’s mark bested the other 31 athletes and hit the NCAA Division II provisional standard.

The most impressive part of Suter’s win was his consistency. Coming in over an hour after the competition started, he easily cleared his opening height, passing the next bar and jumping up to 15 ‘3.5″. He cleared the next two bars on his first try before taking a shot at 16 feet, barely coming up short in his three efforts. 

His pole vaulting teammate, senior Sophia Schneider, also won her competition with a height of 12’3.5”. However, Schneider’s competition was almost over before it started, as she missed two times at her opening height. But after a few adjustments, she cleared the height and cruised through the rest of the competition. 

Schneider made a bold decision at the end of the meet, passing the bar at 12’7.5” and raising it to a school record-setting height of 13’1.5”. Like Suter, she came up just short, but the ceiling for these vaulters remains a far distance off. 

Sophomore sprint sensation, Summer Swartwout, took first place in a pair of events, winning the 60 and the 200 meter dash. Her performance in the 60 tallied two more of her many top ten all-time marks in the event.

She also ran her way to the No. 2 all-time spot in the 200 meter dash, sprinting to a personal record of 24.51 seconds to come out on top, going first and second for the Jackets with her teammate Heidi Nielsen. 

The women also had two more individual winners in the distance events, with seniors Sydney Yoder and Emily Walsh taking the crowns in the 5k and 800 meters. Yoder came in top-seeded for the 5k, but faced a strong field, being challenged to the line by Grace’s Cece Mitchell. But Yoder’s kick helped her edge out the junior, beating her by two seconds in the final stretch. 

Additionally, Walsh, an All-American in the 1500 last outdoor season, cruised her way to victory in the 800, clocking a time of 2:14.15 to beat her competition by over a second. 

Along with the school records and strong showings, the Yellow Jackets dominated the meet, winning the men’s side with 109 points and the women’s with 120, securing both teams’ wins in back-to-back weeks. 

Cedarville’s men’s and women’s teams have already shown they are ready to compete at a different level this season, and with the GMAC Conference Championships only four weeks away, both teams seek to bring home the titles for the Yellow Jackets. 

Cedarville will be heading to the University of Ashland for the Ashland Open on February 6-7 at the Niss Athletic Center, facing off with strong competition against numerous conference rivals.

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.