GAMBIER, Ohio -- Kenyon College played host to the 2024 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday, kicking off the first of two busy days on the Lowry Center's Barrett A. Toan Track. The Owls men's track and field team had a strong showing at home, recording points in each of the day's four championship event finals.
Kenyon started the day with four points on the scoreboard after Josh Greville's record-setting fifth-place finish in last weekend's heptathlon, where he placed fifth. At the end of day one, the Owls pushed their team total to 20 and head to day two tied for fifth place in the standings.
Riley Orth highlighted the opening day with a record-setting showing in the shot put. The senior secured the conference crown in the event with a 16.10-meter (52-10) toss on his very first attempt, shattering his own program record of 15.73 meters (51-7 ¼) set on December 3, 2023. The individual indoor championship is Orth's second in the event in as many tries after winning in 2022 and not having a chance to defend his title last season. He has also won consecutive NCAC championships in the outdoor iteration of the event.
Kenyon's second-most points came from the final event, the distance medley relay. The quartet of Arthur Wellenstein, Jonathan Turner, Dylan Sibbitt, and Peter Bernhardt combined to post a time of 10:35.12, good for fifth place and four points. The mark was a season-best for Kenyon in the event.
The other two event finals produced one point apiece for the Owls. Staying on the track, Sam Rabieh added to the team's tally with an eighth-place finish in the 5,000-meter race, the meet's first running event. The junior crossed the finish line at 15:46.57. Looking back at field events, Ezekiel Kiwanuka placed eighth in the long jump. The sophomore landed 6.39 meters (20-11 ¾) out on his second leap, setting a Kenyon season-best and personal-best mark.
In preliminary events, two Owls posted qualifying times in three events. Tapiwa Gono Phiri was phenomenal on the track, breaking two program records and qualifying for tomorrow's finals with third-place finishes in two races. In the 60-meter dash, the junior broke his record of 6.99 from earlier this season with a time of 6.95. In the 200-meter dash, Gono Phiri crossed the finish line at 22.51, clearing his program-best mark of 22.52 set on February 26, 2022. Additionally, Sibbitt secured a spot in the final of the 800-meter race with a time of 2:00.80 that landed the sophomore in eighth.
The Championships resume tomorrow morning, with most of the Championship events still on the schedule. Field events will start at 10:00 a.m. while running events will begin at 2:15 p.m.
