Panthers run past Tigers
Friday, March 30, 2007

By TRIBUNE SPORTS STAFF

— Western swept Northwestern in boys and girls track and field meets Thursday at Russiaville.

In the boys meet, Western took care of Northwestern 78-54. Triple winners Kyle Gann, Patrick Lennon and Kyle Brown led the Panthers’ charge.

Gann won the pole vault (14 feet), 100-meter dash (:11.6) and shot put (45-1). Lennon was tops in the 110 hurdles (:15.7) and 300 hurdles (:42.9) and Brown won the long jump (17-10) and 200 dash (:23.3). Lennon, Brown, Jerel Hall and Ryan Elmore teamed to win the 400 relay (:46.3).

“Gann ran the 100 dash for the first time, and he and Hall teamed up for an :11.6 and :11.8 times,” Western coach Dana Neer said. “Lennon had a personal best in the 300 hurdles.”

Other winners for Western were Bart Shepherd (discus, 122-11), Kyle Young (high jump, 5-10) and Alex Sigler (400 dash, :53.6).

“Shepherd had a personal best in the discus with a strong cross wind, and the pole vaulters swept the event with Chris Harter having a personal best at 12 feet,” Neer said. “Sigler was released by the doctors after battling an illness for three weeks. He ran well in the first 350 meters, and he pulled his way through the last 50 meters.”

Double winner Kory Kennedy led Northwestern. He won the 1,600 run (4:46.8) and 3,200 run (10:21). Also for the Tigers, Jeremy Robison won the 800 (2:07.9). Northwestern also won the 1,600 and 3,200 relays.

In the girls meet, Western won nine of the 15 events on its way to an 82-50 win.

Jenn Elliott was a triple winner for Western. She won the 1,600 run (5:59) and 3,200 run (12:49) and was part of the winning 3,200 relay (11:00).

Double winners Casey Herr, Nikki McCracken, Danae Rittman and Madi Briscoe backed McCracken. Herr was tops in pole vault (8-6), McCracken won the 100 hurdles (:17.2), Rittman won the 200 dash (:28.3) and Briscoe was tops in the 800 run (2:41). McCracken, Herr and Rittman teamed with Jennifer Dale to win the 400 relay (:54.1), and Briscoe and Elliott were joined by Kiley Camp and Lacey Myer in the 3,200 relay.

Western’s Lizi Chandler won the discus (108-5).

“We did an excellent job,” Western coach Heather Yentes said. “We swept the pole vault, 100 hurdles and 200 dash.”

Kara DeFabritis was a triple winner for Northwestern. She won the long jump (14-11), 100 dash (:13.4) and was a member of the winning 1,600 relay (4:37) that also included Annelise Tarkington, Ally Goodnight and Lindsey Sewell.

Sewell also won the 400 (1:00.03). Other winners for Northwestern were Megan Schubert (high jump, 5-5), Becky Lowden (300 hurdles, :52.7) and Jackie Combs (shot put, 32-6).