BEREA, Ohio -- Baldwin Wallace University sophomore All-American long jumper Melanie Winters (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls) is one of the nation's best NCAA Division III heptathletes. Her honors both this winter and already spring prove it. And, her performance at the All-Ohio Division III Championship Meet was simply OUTSTANDING!
This winter, Winters earned Division III All-Amercan accolades when she placed third in the long jump at the national championship meet. She also qualified in the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles and five-event pentathlon and almost qualified on the high jump. Winters opted to compete in the three individual events as she felt it would be a better opportunity to score points for her team. In addition to earning All-America accolades, she was named as the USTFCCCA (United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) Division III Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year.
During the indoor season, Winters set BW school records in the 60-meter dash (7.74 seconds), 60-meter hurdles (8.84 seconds), long jump (19;3.25") and pentathlon (3,509 points). At the 2014 OAC Indoor Championship Meet, Winters won the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles, long jump and high jump. For her efforts, she also was named as the Fred Razik OAC Field Athlete of the Year.
Already this spring, Winters is the nation's leaders in the heptathlon (4,743 points) and 100-meter hurdles (14.22 seconds) and among the leaders in the long jump (fourth at 18'10.75"), high jump (sixth/ 5'6.5") and 200-meter dash(12th in 25.06 seconds).
On April 5-6, she won the All-Ohio Meet heptathlon title and earned her third OAC Track Athlete of the Week award this year. En route to the winning the All-Ohio heptathlon crown, Winters won four of the seven events as she captured the long jump, high jump, 100-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash.
Last weekend at the annual All-Ohio Meet, Winters won the heptathlon with an NCAA Division III-leading 4,743 points, won the 100-meter hurdles with a career-best and Division III-leading time of 14.22 seconds, the long jump with a leap of 18'8.75" and the 200-meter dsah in a career-best time of 25.06 seconds. Winters placed second in the high jump by leaping 5'3.75".
In the classroom, Winters also is outstanding as she carries a better than 3.0 grade point average in English.
"Melanie is an outstanding student-athlete and team-leader," veteran BW track and cross country coach Dr. Bill Taraschke. "She has the talent and ability to be one of the most dominant heptathletes in Division III. She works very hard and gets the most out of her abilities, both in the classroom and on the track."
Winters and the Yellow Jackets are back in action this Saturday, April 12 at the All-Ohio Championship Meet at Ohio Wesleyan University. Following the All-Ohio Meet, the teams return home for two straight weeks as BW hosts the annual Paul "Sparky" Adams Meet on April 19 and then the 2014 OAC Championship Meet on April 25-26. Both meets will take place at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea.
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