RedHawks place fourth at Buckeye Tune-Up

By Ben Blanchard, For The Miami Student

Miami University men and women's track and field split the team this weekend to compete in two meets, the Buckeye Tune-Up and the Alex Wilson Invitational.

The majority of the RedHawks competed at the Buckeye Tune-Up in Columbus, Ohio, where the Miami women finished fourth overall, thanks to strong performances from sophomore Alesha Vovk, senior Kathie Wollney and junior Alexus Jimson-Miller.

Vovk won the 1600-meter run with a 4:56.11 time, a new personal best.

"I felt really good during the race, my legs felt smooth and strong," Vovk said. "I just wanted to qualify for conference next weekend, but winning the race was definitely a great bonus."

In the 800-meter run, Wollney finished second in 2:15.65. It was Wollney's first 800m race, as she typically runs the 400-meter hurdles.

Jimson-Miller took fifth in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing with a 8.64 time, slightly slower her 8.51 time at the Music City Challenge last weekend.

The contingent of the men's squad that traveled to the Alex Wilson invite turned in solid performances, as well.

"We're all really excited, this is by far the best indoor performance we've ever had since I've been here," junior Andrew Dusing said.

Dusing set a new personal best in the 1600-meter race, clocking in at 4:06.5, good enough for an eighth place finish and beating his old time by five seconds. Dusing's time ranks him fifth in the Mid-American Conference standings, with .31 seconds separating him from the second place spot.

Also in the 1600m, junior Stephen Biebelhausen set a new personal best with a 4:15.8 time He finished 17th overall.

Senior Joe Stewart ran a 8:15.22 time in his first race of the season, the 3000-meter run, taking third overall. Senior Zack McBride finished behind Stewart in 8:15.44 for fourth overall. It was a one-second personal best for Stewart and a 16-second improvement for McBride.

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"Everyone ran so well this weekend, with everyone at the Alex Wilson Invite setting personal records," Dusing said. "I think this will give us a lot more confidence for the rest of the season."

The women's team travels to Akron, Ohio this weekend for the MAC Indoor Championships. The men's team does not compete again until the Miami Duals on April 1.

"We'll definitely be excited to race outdoors," Dusing said. "But in the meantime, we'll relax and go back to the basics. Lots of sleep, four or five weeks of good mileage, and we'll be ready to go."