Women’s track and field win Chippewa Invite; men finish second to EMU

The CMU women’s track team won its second consecutive scored meet of the indoor season Saturday when it hosted the Chippewa Invitational.

CMU totaled 160 points and its closest competitor was Eastern Michigan, which scored 111. Western Michigan finished third (96), Kent State fourth (53.5) and Oakland finished last (5.5).

“We’re excited these women came out here and competed,” said coach Willie Randolph. “We had a balanced attack, and we’re ready for the conference championships.”

Junior Raeanne Lohner won the women’s 3,000-meter run with a time of 9 minutes, 58.69 seconds. Lohner also ran the first leg of the winning distance medley team.

Senior Erika Schroll won the high jump competition for the third consecutive week with a height of 5 feet, 10 inches.

Randolph said home-meet experience is vital for his team’s success and it is important for athletes to be able to get through the anxiety of the competition.

“The home-crowd support surprised me,” Randolph said. “It speaks volumes about where we’re going and what this university has done for us. That’s what collegiate sports should be about.”

The men’s team

The men’s team (151.5) finished second in the meet, 10.5 points behind Mid-American Conference rival Eastern Michigan (162).

Randolph said his staff is moving some athletes to different sprinting events, but thinks the men will be ready for the conference championships.

Freshman Renaldo Powell won the 60-meter hurdles and the triple jump competition. Powell, who competed in his first scoring meet at home, said he does not consider himself a freshman who cannot make an impact.

“At practice, we’re all just trying to compete,” he said. “Everyone on the team just wants to win.”

Powell said he was impressed with the crowd support and it helped him succeed.

“I love having the crowd out here watching,” he said. “It seems like everyone I know is out here and I don’t want to let them down.”

Other winners for the men were Riak Mabil, who won his first race of the season in the 3000-meter run (8:37.61), and senior Marcus Breidinger, who won the pole vault competition by clearing 16’1”.

Pilling

Senior All-American thrower Greg Pilling was formally recognized as the 2008-09 Dick Enberg Scholar Athlete of the Year recipient.

The Enberg award is given annually to a CMU athlete who excels in academics and athletics. It was given to Pilling in the fall, but Randolph said he wanted Pilling to accept the award on the track where it belongs.

“It’s here on the track where he actually gives back the most,” Randolph said. “He’s a class-act young man, and we’re excited about his future.”

The track and field teams is off next weekend, but returns Feb. 12 in the Grand Valley Big Meet in Allendale.