2008 Woodie Awards
Track travels to compete at SIUE
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Sports
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Field events are scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m., with running event getting underway around 2 p.m. at Ralph Korte Stadium.
Throwing Down Records
Seniors Amy Zaffino and Walt Willis, juniors Tim Chybicki and David Roscoe and freshman Jessica Ortega battled through windy and rainy conditions at the Iowa Invitational to set six career-best marks in the throwing events.
Zaffino led the way for the Westerwinds, recording two of the career-topping marks. The senior set the first in the discus with a throw of 44.64m (146'05"). The throw was more than a foot longer than her previous best and moved her into the No. 8 position on Western's all-time list. Her second personal best came in the hammer throw, with a mark of 52.53m (172'04"). The throw earned her second place at the meet and the No. 5 spot on Western's career charts. Ortega also improved on her career-best throw in the event, with a mark of 42.50m (139'05").
Willis recorded a career best for the Leathernecks in the hammer throw, with a mark of 52.88m (176'09"), good for the No. 10 spot on Western's career charts and a second-place finish at the Iowa Invitational. Roscoe also recorded a career best in the same event with a throw of 47.17m (154'09").
Chybicki recorded the final personal best for the throwers, with a second-place finish in the javelin. The junior earned a mark of 55.75m (182'11"), good for the fifth position on Western's all-time list.
Going the Distance
Western's distance runners also excelled at the Iowa Invitational and recorded four career-best times. Junior Kevin Deegan led the way for the Leathernecks, earning a second-place finish in the 1,500-meter run. Deegan finished the event with a time of 3:59.17, and is the first Western runner to complete the race in less than four minutes since 2004. Fellow junior Jared Schmidt was the other male runner to earn a personal best, with a 1:55.19 finish in the 800-meter run.
Junior Mary Kate Jackson and freshman Josi Parker recorded career-best times in the 1,500-meter run for the 'Winds. Jackson finished with a time of 4:47.77, while Parker ran the race in 4:59.84.
Making an Impact
on the Top-10 List
Sophomore Eric Anerino and freshman Michael McGraw also performed well for Western at the Iowa Invitational. Anerino finished the 3,000-meter run with the second-fastest time in school history, 8:46.25. McGraw earned the No. 6 spot on Western's all-time list in the same event, with a time of 9:00.27.
Up Next
The final regular season meet of the 2008 season for Western is scheduled for Saturday, May 3 in Normal, Ill. The track and field teams will be participating in the Illinois State Invitational before taking a week off prior to hosting the Summit League Championships, May 15-17 at Hanson Field.
-Western Illinois University
Athletics Media Services
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