Sport in world

Tracksters head to Iowa for Wartburg Invitational

July 3, 2008 on 9:36 pm | In Athletics |

MACOMB, Ill. The Western Illinois track and field teams are heading to Waverly, Iowa, to compete in the Wartburg Select, Saturday, April 5 at Walston-Hoover Stadium.

Western will be competing against Augustana College, Dubuque, Ginnell, Loras, Monmouth, Simpson, College of St. Benedict, St. Thomas, Wisconsin-La Crosse, and Wisconsin-Platteville.

First Week Out
The Leathernecks and the Westerwinds each took third at the Eastern Illinois Invitational. Tony Odele (Springfield, Ill./Springfield) took home two first-place finishes and added a second-place mark, while senior Sean Delahunt (Pekin, Ill./Pekin Community) was the only other member of the men’s team to finish first in an event. Odele came in first in the discus throw (44.10m (144’08”)), and in the 110-meter hurdles (15.15). Delahunt came in first in the shot put (16.63m (54’06.75)).

On the women’s side senior Amy Zaffino (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka), Beth Whalen (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf), and freshman Nichole Manning (Kansas City, Mo./Winnetonka) came home with first place finishes. Zaffino was first in the hammer throw (47.77m (156’09”)), Whalen finished in the first position in the 5,000-meter run (17:52.17), and Manning claimed the top spot in the pole vault (3.50m (11’05.75”)).

Best Foot Forward
Besides newcomers, six members of the track and field roster set personal best’s in their outdoor events at the Eastern Illinois Invitational. Sophomore Eric Anerino (Naperville, Ill./North) led the way with two top marks. Anerino finished the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:02.76 and the 5,000-meter run in 15:47.81. Junior Jared Schmidt set a personal best in the 1,500-meter run (4:05.07), while Odele ran the 400-meter hurdles in 1:03.79.

Senior Heather Wetzel (Waterloo, Iowa/Waterloo) ran her fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles (1:05.72). Sophomore Katie Jay was the second member of the Westerwinds’ roster to finish with a career-best time in the 400-meter hurdles (1:08.06). Zaffino was the final teammate to record a personal best, with a throw of 12.15m (39’10.50”) in the shot put.

Up Next
Western returns to Hanson Field, to host the 19th Annual Lee Calhoun Memorial Invitational presented by Waste Management, the first of two meets at home during the 2008 outdoor season. Events begin Thursday, April 10 at 1 p.m. with the decathlon and heptathlon events and run through Saturday, April 12.

Originaly from Source