The Case Western Reserve University men and women’s track and field teams sent a group to compete in the Mid-February Meet on Friday, Feb. 8. The event was hosted by Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. The Spartans were able to finish the meet with a third place finish for the men and a sixth place finish for the women, both out of nine. The men scored 71 points and the women scored 62 points.

Highlights for the men include a second place finish by third-year Brian Holden in the weight throw with a mark of 13.31 meters. Second-year runner Eric Rachita also claimed a second-place victory after completing the 3,000-meter run in 9:07.28. Third-year Spartan Michael Klein and second-year teammate Thomas Patton both placed third in their respective events. Klein competed in the 5,000-meter run and crossed the finished line at 16:00.69 and Patton competed in the 800-meter run and finished with a time of 1:58.68.

For the women, fourth-year Spartan Maryellen Heebner took third in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.30. First-year student Jana Fisher also placed third, as did fourth-year Hayley Kline. Fisher competed in the one-mile run, finishing with a time of 5:28.87 and Kline finished the 400-meter dash in 1:04.70.

On Saturday, the men and women’s teams traveled to Westerville, Ohio to compete in the 2019 All-Ohio Indoor Championships at Otterbein University. The Spartan men ended the day with a fourth place finish out of 18 competitors, and the women took fifth. The teams earned 70.5 and 63 points, respectively.

Contributing to the fourth place finish were second-year competitors Trey Razanauskas and Jordan Butler. Both Spartans took first place in their events. Razanauskas earned victory in the 5,000-meter run with a time 14:58.97, and Butler topped long jump with his mark of 6.77 meters. Third-year runner Michael Hradesky claimed second in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.43, and fourth-year Spartan Ananth Suresh took third in the triple jump with a jump of 13.35 meters.

The men also saw success in their relays. The distance medley relay composed of first-year students Logan Singer, Bryden Moxley and Daniel Grasing and Hradesky crossed the finish line in third with a time of 10:34.76. The 4×200-meter relay team also earned a third-place finish after completing the race with a time of 1:34.13. The team was made up of third-year Spartans Jonathan Haling and Darius Inzar, second-year student Musa Hakim Jr. and first-year teammate Juan Perez. Haling, Hradesky, Perez and Singer worked together to claim the fifth-place spot in the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:31.98.

The Spartan women also finished the day with multiple placing finishes. Graduate student Cassandra Laios claimed victory in the weight throw with a mark of 18.05 meters. Her performance earned her the school record in the event. Laios had set the previous record last season at the All-Ohio indoor championships with a mark of 17.92 meters. In addition, Laios claimed first in the shot put with a mark of 13.09 meters.

Additional highlights for the Spartan women include third-year student Madeline Lindemann who placed first in the 5,000-meter run after finishing the race in 17:52.89. Fourth-year runner Olivia Newman took third in the 400-meter dash, crossing the finish line at 59.98. The women’s relay teams also picked up some victories. The distance medley relay team finished second with a time of 12:50.52. Team members include third-year Spartan Vanessa Pasadyn, fourth-year runner Isabel Torres-Padin and third-year teammates Shahed Eid and Maria King. For the 4×200-meter relay, Newman teamed with second-year student Julie Hines, third-year student Bari Love and first-year teammate Ana Scherf to earn fifth as well as a new school record with their time of 1:49.22. Newman, Hines, King and Scherf teamed up to cross the finish line in fourth at 4:12.37 in the 4×400-meter relay.

The Spartans will next head to Kent State University to compete at the Kent State Tune Up on Feb. 16.