Track and Field: Women place fifth, men eighth at Manchester Invitational

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. - The Defiance College track and field teams were back at it again Saturday afternoon at the Manchester Invitational hosted by Manchester University.

The women's team earned 30 points and placed fifth among nine teams and the men's team earned 11 points, placing eighth out of nine teams. 

In the 100 meter dash, Lisa-Maria Markau placed third, Myahn Smith 12th and Shelby Clements 17th. Smith earned a new personal best time of 13.42 seconds. In the 200, Markau placed second, Smith seventh, Clements 24th, and Aliza Clark 28th. Smith set another new best with a run of 27.16 seconds. The 28.65 time for Clements earned her a new personal best and Clark's 29.16 was a new best time for her also.

Markau continued her strong performances with another victory in the 400 meter dash for the third straight week. She won the event with a time of 59.21 seconds. Clark competed in the 100 hurdles for the first time and placed fifth at 16.99 seconds. Smith also competed in the javelin and placed 19th. Earning points for DC were Markau, Smith, and Clark. 

Montgomery Rollins placed 16th in the 100 meter dash with a new personal best time of 11.64 seconds. Gavin Maratea placed 25th in the 100 with a time of 12.02 seconds. In the 200 meter dash, Rollins placed seventh, Maratea 30th and Jeremiah Benton 41st.

Tawon Cannon had a strong finish in the 400 meter dash and placed third with a time of 49.88 seconds. Cannon earned a personal best in the 110 hurdles, placing sixth with a time of 15.71 seconds. David Heidelberg set another new best in the shot put with a throw of 10.38 meters (34 '0.75"). Maratea placed 18th in the javelin. Earning points for DC were Cannon and Rollins. 

The Yellow Jackets travel to Ohio Wesleyan University next Saturday, April 13 for the All-Ohio Championships.