Sports > March 27, 2008

By LK Davey | Staff writer

While most people were home over Easter weekend, the Demon Deacon men’s and women’s track and field teams had an outstanding weekend here on campus at the WFU Open. Held at Kentner Stadium, March 22 left the Wake Forest track and field squad setting three new school records, posting four first place finishes and 16 top five finishes.

For the women’s team, senior Melissa Council had the first of Wake’s four first place finishes, taking the 400m title with a 55.37 second run. Sophomore Nicole Castronouva placed eighth in the same event, clocking a 56.90 finish. Junior Carly Mauch’s 45.49m/149-03 Javelin throw was good for an NCAA provisional mark and set a new Wake Forest record. This beat the former Wake record, also by Mauch, by almost 7 feet. Sophomore Caroline Vaughn broke the school 100m hurdle record, running a 13.68 to top her prior school record of 13.73, set last season. Vaughn also made NCAA provisional standards, meaning she could possibly go to the East Regionals in Tallahassee, Fla.

From the men’s team, senior Kerry Major tied the NCAA provisional mark for the 100m dash in the preliminary round with a running time of 10.55. Major finished second overall with a 10.64 run. Senior Michelle Loyd also met NCAA provisional marks with her 59.39 first place finish in the 400m hurdles; her time was a new school record, sophomore Alex Gove’s 1:00.03 high mark set last season. Freshman Anna Nosenko was the first collegiate finisher in the women’s1500m dash, taking second place overall with a 4:28.77 mark.

Freshman Allan Lunkenheimer of the men’s team performed well in his first official race at Kentner Stadium, taking third place in the 400m run with a 48.04 finish.

The Lady Deacon’s women’s relay team, composed of senior Molly Kennedy, Castronouva, Council and Loyd, also set a new program best, combining for a 46.37 second finish. Council and Castronouva, along with Vaughn and Ashley Spooner set the former school record of 46.46 in 2007.

Sophomore Patrick Russell was the only representative from Wake in the 3000m run and with a time of 8:32.01 took second place. Sophomore Thomas Sensing and junior Boomer Petersen both placed in the men’s shot put top 10, with Sensing throwing a 51-02.25, and Petersen placed ninth with 49-09.00.

For the men’s pole vault, senior Taylor Wildman’s 14-07.25 performance was the fifth best March 22, and senior Jill Ahrens represented the women’s team with an 11-05.75 pole vault performance, taking second place in the event.

Up next, both men’s and women’s track teams will make the trip down to Atlanta, Ga., March 29-30 for the Yellow Jacket Invitational held at Georgia Tech.