GAMBIER, OH -- The Denison men and the Wittenberg women lead the 2024 NCAC Indoor Track & Field Championships after the first day of competition at the Toan Indoor Track in Gambier, Ohio. The Big Red accumulated 37 total points, while the Tigers sit in first with 71.5 points.
Wittenberg sits in second with 34 points in the men's standings, followed by Wabash (32), Wooster (23), Kenyon and Oberlin (20), Ohio Wesleyan (15), DePauw (14) and Hiram (0). On the women’s side, DePauw is second after day one with 47 points, followed by Ohio Wesleyan (41.5), Wooster (27), Denison (16), Kenyon (15), Oberlin (14) and Hiram (2).
The 2024 meet opened with five field events and Wooster freshman Nkosi Jeju (Johannesburg, South Africa/Silver Oaks International) claimed the first victory of the day with a new NCAC-record distance of 7.19 meters (23’07.25”) in the men’s long jump, while Kenyon junior Paula Soric (Zadar, Croatia/Gimnazija Franje Petrica Zadar) claimed the 2024 women’s long jump title with a leap of 5.29 meters (17’04.25”). Wittenberg sophomore Tiffany Hix (Prospect, OH/Elgin) won the women’s pole vault with a mark of 3.34 meters (10’11.50”), while Wooster senior Ainsley Wiesner (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) took home the women’s weight throw with a heave of 17.25 meters (56’07.25”). The men’s shot put title was captured by Kenyon senior Riley Orth (Cincinnati, OH/Anderson) with a throw of 16.10 meters (52’10.00”).
On the track, DePauw junior Sophie Porter (Westfield, IN/Westfield) claimed the women’s 5,000-meter run title in a time of 17:47.69, while Wooster junior Will Callender (Seattle, WA/Roosevelt) won the men’s 5,000 in 14:56.50. To finish out the night, the DePauw women won the distance medley relay (12:29.30), while Wabash captured the men’s crown in the DMR (10:22.41).
The 2024 NCAC Indoor Track & Field Championships will continue tomorrow, Saturday, February 24, with 25 events. The final day will start at 10:00 a.m. with the men’s high jump, women's triple jump, men's weight throw and men's pole vault, followed by the men's triple jump, women's high jump and women's shot put at 12:00 p.m. (noon). Track events will start at 2:15 p.m.