DELAWARE, Ohio – Led by a pair of conference titles from junior
Seven Lindsey, Denison men's track & field tallied 118 team points on Thursday afternoon and placed third overall at the 2021 North Coast Athletic Conference Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University at Selby Stadium in Delaware. Earning the program's best finish since 1992, the Big Red finished 19 points ahead of fourth-place Wittenberg (99) while landing 19 points behind championship-host Ohio Wesleyan (137) in second place. Wabash College captured their second NCAC team title since 2019 after recording a meet-best 203 points.
The Big Red collected an impressive four individual NCAC championships on Wednesday afternoon, including nine All-NCAC performances. Both accolades are the most by the program in a single outdoor championship since 1998. Lindsey led the way for the Big Red with three All-NCAC showings, two conference titles, and was named the NCAC Athlete of the Year for Sprints/Hurdles, which is Denison's first NCAC Athlete of the Year since Dee Salukombo in 2012. He is also Denison's first athlete to earn the honor in sprints/hurdles since 1989 when Brad Ellington was named the conference's most valuable track athlete. Opening competition in the 100-meter dash, Lindsey posted a new personal-record in the prelims when he earned the top qualifying time for the finals at 10.80. In the finals, the junior from Denver, Colorado bested his time once again to win the event in 10.77 seconds, tying for the third-fastest PR in school history. He then captured his second NCAC title of the day in the 200-meter dash after clocking in at 21.92, the ninth-best PR in school history. Lindsey then joined
Charlie Webb,
Millan Henegar, and
Lance Tobasky to close out the meet in the 4X400-meter relay when they placed third overall at 3:22.11, the seventh-best personal record in DU history.
Webb also enjoyed a special day for the Big Red, totaling three all-conference performances and an NCAC Championship in the 400-meter hurdles. Winning his first NCAC title in the 400-meter hurdles, Webb recorded the program's sixth-fastest PR in Denison history when he crossed the finish line in 54.97. He also earned a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles where his final time of 14.87 checked in as the fifth-best personal-best time in school history.
Continuing Denison's success in the running events, junior
Keanan Ginell garnered All-NCAC recognition in the 5,000-meter run when he clocked in at 15:23.53 to finish third overall. He also took fourth overall in the 10,000-meter run in 33:11.57.
Adam Cromwell followed in fifth place at 33:15.22.
Zackary Johnston also earned a top-five finish in the 3,000-meter steeple chase when he checked in at 10:07.10 in fifth place.
In the field events, sophomore
Angelo Ricci highlighted DU's efforts with a pair of All-NCAC performances, including his first conference title in the triple jump. Logging a maximum leap of 44'1.25" (13.44 meters), Ricci earned the first gold medal of his career when he placed first overall in the event. He also claimed a second-place showing in the long jump when he checked in at 21'5.25" (6.53 meters). Freshman
Jacob Brown followed in sixth place at 20'3.75" (6.19 meters). Brown also tallied his own All-NCAC accolade in the javelin throw when he placed third overall at 148'1" (45.15 meters) and he finished in sixth place in the high jump at 5'11.50".
Ian Thompson led DU in fifth place at 1.82 meters.
In the throws,
Gabe Springer placed fifth overall in the discus when he reached a final mark of 137'2" (41.80 meters). He also led DU in the shot put with a seventh-place showing at 39'11.50" (12.18 meters) while
Austin Burgess followed at 39'9.25" (12.12 meters) in eighth place. Burgess then led DU in the hammer throw in fifth place at 139'3" (42.45 meters) while Springer followed in eighth with a PR toss of 131'9" (40.17 meters).
In the pole vault,
Isaiah Kessler placed sixth overall with a maximum vault of 12'11.50" (3.95 meters).
This was Denison's sixth, top-three team performance of the 2021 outdoor season, a season that opened with a team-victory at the Wooster Tri-Meet on March 27.
