Clay, Kurtz Take Home Honors At GLIAC Championship
The University of Findlay men's and women's outdoor track and field teams completed the 2011 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championship on Friday, May 6 in Midland, Michigan. Both teams took fourth place at the event as the men compiled 101.5 points while the women scored 68.
Grand Valley State University took home a championship on both the men's and women's sides but the Oilers took home some individuals honors at the event.
On the women's side, Raven Clay won three events and helped the Oilers 4x400-meter relay team finish second en route to being named the GLIAC Athlete of the Year.
Clay, who was tabbed with the same honor during the indoor season as well, captured first place in the 100-meter dash at 12.09, crossed the finish line in first with a provisional time of 24.46 in the 200-meter dash and raced to the gold in the 100-meter hurdles with a NCAA automatic qualifying time of 13.47.
She also teamed with Christine Zimmermann, Catherine Wiemers and Lindsey Schmitmeyer to capture the silver in the 4x400 at 3:47.56, a provisional time.
Schmitmeyer added a second place finish in the 800-meter run with a provisional time of 2:10.57 while Wiemers was seventh in the 400-meter dash at 59.07.
Jessica Vorst also came up with two provisional marks for the Oilers as well, taking fourth in the shot put at 44'02 and eighth in the discus at 132'08.
On the men's side, Nathaniel Kurtz shared GLIAC Field Athlete of the Meet honors with Saginaw Valley State's Tyler Grob.
Kurtz won the shot put with a provisional heave of 57'00 and also took second in the discus at 161'02.
John Guagenti had a hand in two victories for Findlay as well, winning the 400-meter dash with a provisional time of 47.31 and teaming with Simon Bernard, Greg Schaible and Curtis Smithey to place first in the 4x400-meter relay with a provisional and school record-breaking time of 3:11.14.
He also placed fourth in the 200-meter dash at 21.76.
Shane Shockey brought home a championship in the pole vault at 15'07.25 while Lyndon Johnson was second in the 200 at 21.66 and third in the 100 with a time of 10.66.
Johnson also teamed with Demetrius Trapps, Cory Douglas and Schaible to finish fifth in the 4x100-meter relay at 42.07.
Smithey added a third place finish in the 400 at 48.49, Joe Guerra took fourth in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.62 and Darren Bass was fifth in the shot put at 53'00, a provisional throw.
Women's Award Winners
Freshman Running Athlete of the Year: Taylor King, Hillsdale
Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Kristin Hixon, Grand Valley State
Running Athlete of the Year: Raven Clay, Findlay
Field Athlete of the Year: Cheryl Bourne, Ashland
Coach of the Year: Jerry Baltes, Grand Valley State
Men's Award Winners
Freshman Running Athlete of the Year: Logan Hoffman, Grand Valley State
Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Eugene Cannady, Tiffin
Running Athlete of the Year: Chris Burrows, Lake Erie
Field Athlete of the Year: Tyler Grob, Saginaw Valley State/Nathanial Kurtz, Findlay
Coach of the Year: Jeremy Croy, Tiffin
The Oilers will be back in action again on May 12-13 at the Keeler Invitational in Naperville, Illinois.