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Tech's Schelb Finishes in Seventh Place at National Championships

05.21.2009

Oregon Tech's Sarah Schelb was the only Hustlin' Owl to Score Points in the First Day of the NAIA National Track and Field Championships (Photo by Kelly Caleb)

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Oregon Tech's bid for an All-American javelin thrower for the fourth straight year ended Thursday at the NAIA national track and field championships.

Only junior Sarah Schelb managed to score points for the Hustlin' Owls at Ralph Korte Field at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Schelb, who had the third best throw of the season entering the national meet, finished seventh in the women's competition with a throw of 141 feet, 7 inches. Teammate Blair Wilkinson was 15th at 129-10. Wilkinson is the only freshman, and only first-time national entry, among the eighth OIT athletes in the national meet. In the men's javelin, Kyle Gomez placed 14th at 186-3, while Bryant Sentman was 18th at 179-7. Schleb and Gomez both were trying to place in the top six and gain All-American honors for the second straight season. Schelb was 14 inches away from an All-American throw, while Gomez needed another 19 feet to have gained the same honor.

While OIT came up short in what has been one of its strongest events at the national level, the Cascade Collegiate Conference and the West Coast did not. Liz Gleadle of the University of British Columbia won the women's javelin at 178-2, and seven of the top eight in the event where from the West Coast, and four from the conference. Gleadle set a meet record with her winning toss, one of two meet records set on the first of three days of competition in the national championships. Aubrey Baxter of South Dakota's Black Hills State won the women's hammer throw with a record toss of 201-8. In the men's javelin, Concordia's Jesse Staub had the winning throw, at 223-3, with five of the top seven from the West Coast, and three from the conference.

In the men's 10,000-meter run, which OIT sophomore Korey Humberston was scheduled to compete, Azusa Pacific's Aron Rono won in 30 minutes, 23.70 seconds. Humberston did not compete in the race. Rono also won the event a year ago. In the only preliminary event involving an Oregon Tech athlete came in the women's 100-meter hurdles where Nikki Smith was timed in 15.04, which was third in her heat and she advanced to the semifinals. She is one of five runners from the West Coast to reach the semifinals that begin at 11:40 a.m. Saturday. The top eight advance to the finals at 1:25 p.m. Saturday. Also Saturday will be the men's high jump, with Sentman among the entries.

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