Men's Track and Field | 5/3/2025 3:02:00 PM

Greencastle, Indiana – The Oberlin College track and field teams competed today in the first day of the North Coast Athletic Conference outdoor championships, hosted by DePauw. With 7 of 21 events scored, the Yeomen stand in 5th place with 23.5 points, while the Yeowomen hold 7th place with 14.5 points. Many of today's races were preliminary rounds; both the men's and women's teams advanced 3 athletes to finals. 

Namu Makatiani leaped to a mark of 6.62m in the men's long jump, earning him 7th place. The junior doubled back in the 110m hurdles prelims, blazing to a school record of 14.64, breaking Chris Andrew's 1990 record of 14.67. Makatiani will return to the high hurdles tomorrow, as his run was good for a spot in the final.
 
In the women's long jump, senior Heather Benway leapt to a mark of 5.15m for 5th place.
 
The 10,000m was the first running event of the championships, held on Friday morning to avoid the peak heat of the day. Jonah Barber made his debut in the event, taking 7th in 32:46. The senior was ill going into the race, but still mustered the fastest last lap of the field (65.6) to move up in the last 400m. On the women's side, sophomore Zosia Mateja debuted in the event, running even splits and gaining valuable race experience en route to a 41:08.
 
In the pole vault, senior Elinor Frost cleared 2.75m to tie for eighth place on countback. 
 
Abraham Cromartie V scored his first outdoor conference points, placing 7th in the shot put with a heave of 13.49m.
 
Treyce Wood executed his 800m prelim well, maintaining his position and staying relaxed in the first lap. The junior ran 1:56.30 to take second in his heat and earn an automatic place in the final.
 
In the women's 800m, seniors Sage Serraino and Camila Ciembroniewicz raced with veteran composure to earn spots in the final. Serraino took the heat win in 2:18.25, while Ciembroniewicz placed second in her heat, running 2:18.29.
 
First-year Yrva Desormeaux held her ground during the women's 400m, running a personal best of over a second and breaking 62 for the first time, crossing the line in 61.11. Placing third in her heat, the first-year was the last qualifier by time. On the men's side, first-year Raluchi Obioha ran a personal best of 53.44.
 
In the 400m hurdles, third-year heptathlete Celia Vaughn ran a season-best of 1:13.65 with a smooth race, though not quite fast enough for finals. On the men's side, senior Cole Fuller dominated his signature event, running a 53.93, nearly two seconds faster than any other qualifier.
 
Rounding out the sprints, first-year Sawyer Ramberg ran a personal best of 27.77 to finish off her season, adding another personal best to a season full of them.
 
The 3,000m steeplechase closed out the first day of competition. On the men's side, senior Walter Moak won his third NCAC steeplechase title in 9:12.55, as junior Liam Newman took third in 9:27.90 (#6 All-Time). In the early going, Moak set a fast pace, aiming to break the championship record of 8:58. Three laps in, Moak fell hard over a barrier as Wooster's Drew Robertson opened a slight gap on the senior. Robertson pressed his advantage, but Moak covered, ultimately outkicking his opponent by a fraction of a second. Newman, for his part, outclosed Wooster's Will Callender, creating a twelve-second margin in the last lap alone.
 
On the women's side, Char Purcell and Caleigh Lyons put forth a pair of spectacular performances. Purcell opened hard and closed well to run a 17-second personal best of 11:29.58 to place 4th, landing 8th on Oberlin's All-Time list. Lyons, for her part, maintained even splits before finding another gear in the close to cleave 15 seconds off of her former best, running 11:40.69 and placing 5th.
 
Competition will resume tomorrow, with field events starting at 10am and running events at 2:15pm.
 
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