NAPERVILLE, ILL. -- Select Baldwin Wallace University individual performers competed on Friday, May 19 at the North Central College Gregory Track and Field Invitational. The first of two straight "last chance" meets for those performers hoping to qualify for the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championship Meet at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio from May 26-28. To date, BW has eight qualifiers either automatic or provisional.
Leading the way at the NCC Invitational was senior 4-time Division III All-American thrower Kevin Phipps (Patsakala/ Watkins Memorial) and sophomore All-American Mitch Supan (Medina/Walsh Jesuit) who placed first and second in the hammer throw, respectively. Phipps placed first, as he had a career-best and school record throw of 199-feet and three inches. Supan's posted a career-best mark of 177"1' to place second.
In the discus, Supan led the way for the Yellow Jackets placing fourth with a throw of 154"5'. Senior Matt Kromer (Parma) finished in sixth place with a throw of 151"11'. Freshman Brandon Eddy (Cuyahoga Heights) who has provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division III National Meet placed seventh in the pole vault jumping a height of 14"6'.
The 2011 regular season ended at the April 29-30 Ohio Athletic Conference Championship Meet when both the BW men and women placed second of 10 schools.
To date, BW's eight NCAA Division III national qualifiers include six men while a number of others also are close to qualifying and will get one more chance today at Augustana. Three have already met the NCAAs automatic qualifying standard while the other five have met a provisional standard.
The six men are Phipps in the shot put with a throw of 53"8.5', discus at 174"0' and hammer at an automatic and school-record distance of 199"3', Supan in the shot at 53"6.25', discus at an automatic and school-record 174"8' and hammer at 176"2', junior Miles Moore (Gettysburg, Pa./ Deleone Catholic) in the shot at 52"11.5', Zach Marinucci (Brunswick) in the shot at 51"5.5', Kromer in the discus at 164"7' and Eddy in the pole vault at 15"9.25'.
A year ago, Phipps (discus and hammer) and Supan (discus) each earned All-America honors when BW hosted the 2010 NCAA national meet at The George Finnie Stadium.
The Yellow Jacket qualifying hopefuls are back in action today when Phipps, Kromer and Marinucci all throw today at Augustana.
FOR MORE BW Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter athttp://twitter.com/bwathletics
