Brown, Walderzak Set School Marks
5/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | MTF
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Devene Brown and Cole Walderzak broke school records Friday to lead the Central Michigan contingent on Day 2 of the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Ball State's University Track.
Brown, a junior, set the CMU record in the women's shot put with a toss measuring 53 feet, ¼ inch. She finished fourth and broke the previous mark (51-¼) set by Katie Davis in 2004.
Walderzak, also a junior, set the Chippewa standard in the men's hammer throw with a 212-2 toss in his final throw of the day. He broke Ryan McCullough's school mark (210-7) set in 2012.
"We always talk about it's the great ones having the ability to compete at the highest level in the biggest competitions," CMU director of track & field Mark Guthrie said. "Those two exemplify that. Those are special marks.
"I'm really proud of both of them. The conference meet, there's only two meets bigger, the NCAA first round and the NCAA. I was really proud with how they responded to the competition."
CMU's Dylan Banagis placed third, one spot behind Walderzak, in the hammer throw with a career-best 200-9.
"It was a great competition between him and Cole," Guthrie said. "Banagis came from two fouls; one more and he's not even in the finals."
One other CMU student-athlete, Abbey Kelto, scored team points on a day that featured preliminaries in most of the running events.
Kelto finished fifth in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase less than 24 hours after place second in the 10,000. Her 10-minute, 37.89-second clocking was the second-fastest of her career.
"She ran the 10 (Thursday) night around 8 o'clock and she was back on the track today jumping over barriers and through puddles," Guthrie said. "That's tough duty. She gave us everything she had. It was a good effort."
Several Chippewas finished in the top 10 in preliminaries and will run in the finals on Saturday.
For the CMU women, they are Ravyn Baxter (400), Tina Davis and Diamond Hamilton (100), Kelsey Ross (800), and Bridget Doughty and Emma Fishnick (400 hurdles).
For the Chippewa men, those advancing were Shane Moffo (110 hurdles), Erick Huertas and Malik Vasquez (400), Lorenzo Wells (100, 200), Kyle Allinder and Scott Cousino (800), Ziemowit Dutkiewicz and Ja'Corey Lipsey (400 hurdles), and Tahshon Reese (200).
"I don't think we had anybody surprise us, but I think we held our own," Guthrie said. "(Saturday) you've got to find a way to get there.
"I feel pretty good about where we're at in some areas. We got a lot of people in finals. Once you're in there you've got a chance. Now we have to show up (Saturday) and score some points."
Players Mentioned
