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Little Giants Dominate Wabash Alumni Indoor Invitational

The Knowling Fieldhouse was the site of the first Wabash Alumni Indoor Track and Field Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The Wabash thinclads took first place in the men's division, outdistancing Manchester and Danville Area Community College in the final team results.

Wabash finished with 120 points. Manchester was second (69 points), while DAAC finished third (49 points).

Eight Little Giant athletes captured first place finishes. Sophomore Dan Ruge (Chesterton, IN/Chesterton) and freshman Sean Dillon (Carthage, IN/Rushville) were double winners on Saturday. Ruge took first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:01.83, edging teammate Mark Sherer (Valparaiso, IN/Valparaiso) (2:02.31). Chris Weitzel (Bringhurst, IN/Carroll) completed the sweep in the event for Wabash, taking third with a time of 2:02.71. Ruge and Sherer also finished one-two in the 1500-meter run. Ruge nipped Sherer by .01 seconds at the finish to take first, finishing in 4:14.11 to Sherer's 4:14.12. Jared Smit (Lafayette, IN/Central Catholic) was fourth (4:16.17). Dillon captured the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:20.61 and took first in the 3000-meter run, finishing in 9:25.38.

The Little Giants also swept the weight throw. Junior Caleb Ishman (Gary, IN/Emerson Visual and Performing Arts) took first place with a throw of 46-11. Derek Wilder (Columbus, IN/Columbus East) was second (42-8 1/4), and Chris Long (Kokomo, IN/Northwestern) was third (41-1). Peter DeYoung (Evansville, IN/Bosse) and Brandon Zerface (Bloomington, IN/Bloomington South) also claimed first-place finishes in field events. DeYoung captured first in the high jump, clearing 6-2. He also took second in the triple jump (40-7). Zerface was first in the shot put with a throw of 43- 0 1/2.

Senior Darren Green (Dallas, TX/South Texas HS for Health Professions) was first in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.59. Green also took third in the 55-meter dash (6.73). Sophomore James Bartlett (Louisville, KY/DuPont Manual) was second in the 400-meter run (54.57), as was Kevin Lowry (Francesville, IN/West Central) in the 55-meter hurdles (8.91).