Indoor Track Team Prepares for MACS, Nationals
James Reagan
Issue date: 2/25/10 Section: Sports
On Saturday February 27, Messiah's track and field team will compete for a MAC championship, brimming with confidence following a superb season.
One of the team's greatest strengths is that they are skilled in multiple events. Senior Eddy Palmer compares the team to the church. "I have always thought of track and field as the body of Christ because there are so many different events and each person brings their own unique skills and abilities to make a working team."
The men's team is currently ranked 64th in the nation. That ranking is a bit deceiving; the team has performed very well this year. Last Saturday, the men's 4x1600 meter relay team smashed a school record, crossing the line with a time of 17:54.31. Sophomore Drew Melnick led the sprinting team with a school record 67.56 in the 500-meter dash. Fellow sophomore Tyler Newhook has been extremely impressive, breaking the school record in the mile at 4:20.30. Team Captain Palmer has also had a great year and has provisionally qualified for nationals, following an impressive duel against former Messiah All-American Patrick Roach in the 800 meter race. The Men's DMR (Distance Medley Relay) team also picked up a school record with a 10:10.31 finish; the team is comprised of senior Peter Shenk, Melnick, Palmer, and Newhook.
The women's team is ranked at an impressive 11th in the NCAA Division III. Senior Kristen Bates, who was an All-American last year, broke the school record in the 60 Meter HH with an 8.81 finish. Junior Grace Kaste has broken the school records in the 1000-meter run and the mile run with 3:00.89 and 5:12.49 finishes respectively. Also, the women's DMR broke a Messiah school record with a 12:11.31 finish. Additionally, the women's 4x1600M relay completely demolished the old school record by over 43 seconds, posting a new best of 21:52.87. The women's team has also had success in the shot put event, with first year student Hilary Pelkey making her mark with a new school record of 37 feet and 6 inches.
One of the team's greatest strengths is that they are skilled in multiple events. Senior Eddy Palmer compares the team to the church. "I have always thought of track and field as the body of Christ because there are so many different events and each person brings their own unique skills and abilities to make a working team."
The men's team is currently ranked 64th in the nation. That ranking is a bit deceiving; the team has performed very well this year. Last Saturday, the men's 4x1600 meter relay team smashed a school record, crossing the line with a time of 17:54.31. Sophomore Drew Melnick led the sprinting team with a school record 67.56 in the 500-meter dash. Fellow sophomore Tyler Newhook has been extremely impressive, breaking the school record in the mile at 4:20.30. Team Captain Palmer has also had a great year and has provisionally qualified for nationals, following an impressive duel against former Messiah All-American Patrick Roach in the 800 meter race. The Men's DMR (Distance Medley Relay) team also picked up a school record with a 10:10.31 finish; the team is comprised of senior Peter Shenk, Melnick, Palmer, and Newhook.
The women's team is ranked at an impressive 11th in the NCAA Division III. Senior Kristen Bates, who was an All-American last year, broke the school record in the 60 Meter HH with an 8.81 finish. Junior Grace Kaste has broken the school records in the 1000-meter run and the mile run with 3:00.89 and 5:12.49 finishes respectively. Also, the women's DMR broke a Messiah school record with a 12:11.31 finish. Additionally, the women's 4x1600M relay completely demolished the old school record by over 43 seconds, posting a new best of 21:52.87. The women's team has also had success in the shot put event, with first year student Hilary Pelkey making her mark with a new school record of 37 feet and 6 inches.
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