Wittenberg men’s track: Tigers win third straight NCAC indoor track title

The Wittenberg men’s track team won its third straight North Coast Athletic Conference indoor championship Saturday, becoming the first program since Ohio Wesleyan (2016-18) to accomplish that feat.

“It’s phenomenal,“ coach Paris Hilliard said Monday, ”to see the kids’ hard work over the course of the whole season — and obviously some kids over their four-year journey — pay off and the true excitement that they had for being able to accomplish their goals as a team. There’s no better feeling, to be honest. And, then obviously for me, just being here for 14 years now, seeing where the program started when I first got here, to see where we’ve come, it’s a dream come true."

Wittenberg scored 157 points. Wabash finished second for the second straight year with 144 points.

Cameron Elliott, a Springfield High School graduate who’s a graduate student at Wittenberg, won the NCAC Sprinter/Hurdler Athlete of the Year award.

Elliott finished first in the 400-meter dash in 47.07 seconds. He finished third in the 200 (21.76). He joined three sophomores (Kory Davis, of Brookville; Deshawn Seye, of Centerville; and Jack Kittle, of Chagrin Falls) on the winning 4x400 relay team (3:16.61).

“Cam deserved everything he earned this weekend,” Hilliard said. “He came back for us with his last year of eligibility. He worked extremely hard. I think he would have qualified for nationals last year, but he got hurt. He’s just a true leader.”

Elliott beat Kittle by .01 seconds in the 400. Both rank in the top five in the nation with their best times in the event. The NCAA Division III indoor championships will take place March 13-14 in Birmingham, Ala.

Lukas Rieben, a junior who graduated from Northmont High School, also won a major award Saturday. He was named the NCAC Distance/Middle Distance Athlete of the Year.

Rieben, who missed cross country season in the fall because of an injury, won the 3,000 (8:31.14) and the 5,000 (14:56.28).

“He wasn’t able to race at all in cross country, so that was a bummer for him,” Hilliard said, “but I think that motivated him even more. He had the opportunity to be our standout distance runner, replacing Conor Kolka, who graduated last year, and he was ready for the occasion. He’s been working really hard and being diligent with his recovery from that injury. He was able to win in dominant fashion. We’re very excited for him.”

Elliott and Rieben and the members of the relay team were among many Wittenberg track athletes who earned All-NCAC honors:

• Freshman Antonio Weaver: first in the long jump (23 feet, 1¼ inches).

• Freshman Jeremiah Owusu: third in the high jump (6-5).

• Freshman Matthew Keaton: first in the pole vault (14-5¼).

• Freshman Nate Warburton: second in the 60 (6.90).

• Davis: third in the 60 (8.13).

• Kittle: second in the 200 (21.65); and second in the 400 (47.08).

• Junior Nicolas Farfoglia: first in the helptathlon (4.742 points).

On the women’s side, Wittenberg placed fourth as a team with five All-NCAC performers.

• Freshman Kerrington Harper: first in the high jump (1.62 meters); and third in the triple jump (11.2).

• Freshman Rebekah Case: second in the pole vault (3.45).

• Senior Tiffany Hix: third in the pole vault (3.35).