Sunday, October 5, 2008

Friday, September 26, 2008

Meet Alicia Derr

Thrower Alicia Derr is this Weeks Blue Wave Female Athlete of the Week


Hometown: Middlebury, IN

Major: Elementary Education

Favorite Music: Contemporary Christian; Love Story "Mighty to Save"

Favorite Food: Fresh Fruits


Interest Outside of Track: I worked as a youth pastor this summer and I enjoy working with children of all ages

Goals for the Season: Making NAIA in the Hammer and Christian Nationals in the Javelin

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Meet John-Wesley Maierle

Junior Multi-Event Threat JW Maierle is this Weeks Blue Wave Male Athlete of the Week

Hometown: Winona Lake, IN

Major: Elementary Education

Favorite Music: Lil Wayne, T-Pain, T.I.

Favorite Food: Crab Ragoon

Interest Outside of Track: NCAA Football 2009 on X-Box 360, Baskeball, and Golf
Goals for the Season: Be an All-American at all four National meets.
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Monday, September 22, 2008

Blue Wave Rollin Into 2008-2009


After several months off, Run Throw Jump is back for another exciting year of Bethel College Track and Field. Last season the Pilots had a very successful season both during the indoor and outdoor seasons. After the success of a year in which more Pilot athletes qualified for both the indoor and outdoor NAIA Championships than ever before; the team looks to regroup, rebuild and refocus on another stellar year.

The womens team is led by Senior pole vaulter Danae Ellison, Junior pole vaulter Ann Okeefe, Sophomore throwing sensation Nicole Arnold, Junior distance standout Amber Wray and an exciting experienced women's 4x4 team. These national qualifying ladies along with a host of returnees and arguably the most talented freshman class in team history are gearing up to help defend a MCC conference championship.


On the mens side the team is led by Senior captain and national 400 meter contender Nate Phillips. Nate is joined by fellow national qualifying Seniors, Scott Robinson, and Cato Naragon as the teams leaders. The Pilots are also led by Junior multi-year NAIA qualifying thrower JJ Jackson, 800 meter standouts Vincent Reel and Ryan Starkel, and 4x4 strongholds Jontae Randolph and Jordan Hiem. The mens side also had a great recruiting season in which many gaps and team strengths were filled or helped. The Pilots look to move closer to regaining an MCC championship crown after a 2nd place finish last season.

Currently, the Pilots are in their fourth week of Fall Track and Field training season. Jumpers, and sprinters are currently working in a eight week training format while the Pilot Blue Wave throwers train this fall under first year coaches Travis Lavine and Jason Stoller. The Pilot distance runners are currently taking part in the Cross Country season, and look to continued excellence during the season.

Stay posted to Run Throw Jump as we will continue to keep you informed of all the Bethel Pilot Track and Field updates as the season progresses.

Pilots Fight on at NAIA Nationals

Burrington Earns All-American Honors on Final Day of NAIA Track Nationals

On the final day of competition at the NAIA Outdoor National Track and Field Championships, Bethel College’s Zach Burrington became an NAIA All-American by placing 3rd in the nation in the pole vault clearing 15’11”. In other men’s action on Saturday, another Pilot school record was broken when Calon Naragon finished 25th in the country in the marathon with a time of 2:43.19. Meanwhile in the women’s shot put, Nichole Arnold finished 11th in the nation for the Lady Pilots with a toss of 41’0”. The Pilots ended a very successful track season on a high note at the NAIA Outdoor National Meet as they turned in nine top 12 finishes during the course of the meet, and set four new school records along the way. In addition, Bethel head coach, Tony Natali, was recognized as the NAIA Region 8 Coach of the Year. This marks the third time that Coach Natali has earned this honor (2001, 2006, and 2008).

On the second day of competition on Friday, the men’s team broke three school records on their way to an impressive national showing.

Overall, the Pilots laid claim to five top ten finishes nationally on Friday. In the shot put, Travis LaVine placed 8th nationally with a school record toss of 53’3”. Teammate JJ Jackson finished 9th in the country with a throw of 52’6”. Meanwhile, Pilot sprinter Nate Phillips placed 9th in the nation in the 400m dash with a school record time of 48.38. And the Bethel 4x100m relay team of Trent Chupp, Brandon Thomas, Chris Warhop, and Nate Phillips finished 9th in the country with a school record time of 41.29.

Also competing for Bethel on Friday were Nichole Arnold in the discus finishing 10th in the nation with a throw of 142’0”, Amber Wray in the 5000m run where she finished 17th in the country with a time of 18:16.15, and Amanda Westcott in the triple jump placing 20th nationally with a jump of 36’2”. In addition, the men’s 4x400m relay team of Brandon Thomas, Nate Phillips, Jordan Heim, and Jontae Randolph placed 11th in the country with a time of 3:16.83, and the women’s 4x400m relay team of Beenne Capre, Heather Rathbun, Jessie Spearman, and Calyn Zahl finished13th in the nation with a time of 3:56.70. On Thursday, the team advanced to Friday’s semifinals in two events: the 4x100m relay team of Trent Chupp, Chris Warhop, Brandon Thomas, and Nate Phillips turned in a time of 42.11 in Thursday’s preliminaries to qualify for Friday’s semifinals. Nate Phillips also advanced to the semifinals in the 400m dash with a time of 48.71 in Thursday’s trials.

Also competing for the Bethel men on Thursday were Chris Warhop in the 100m dash where he finished 22nd in the nation with a time of 11.33, and JJ Jackson in the hammer placing 25th in the country with a throw of 145’11”. In addition, the men’s 4x800m relay team of Scott Robinson, Vincent Reel, Ryan Starkel, and Andy Gray finished 16th in the nation with a time of 7:47.24. On the women’s side, Ann O’Keefe cleared 10’10” in the pole vault, good for a 12th place finish in the nation, and Danae Ellison placed 22nd nationally also in the pole vault clearing 10’4” for the Lady Pilots.

OFF TO ST. LOUIS!

Track Sending Largest Contingent in History to NAIA Nationals

The Bethel College Track and Field program has qualified the largest number of athletes in program history to compete at NAIA Outdoor Nationals to be held May 19 – 24 in St. Louis, Missouri. Sixteen men and fourteen women will make up the Bethel College National Championship roster.

The men’s team consists of all three relay teams that have qualified. The 4x100m relay team is made up of Chris Warhop, Brandon Thomas, Trent Chupp, and Nate Phillips, while JW Maierle will serve as the alternate. The 4x400m relay team consists of Phillips, Thomas, Jordan Heim, and Jontae Randolph, with Brad Wilson as the alternate. Finally, the 4x800m relay team is comprised of Scott Robinson, Andy Gray, Vincent Reel, and Ryan Starkel. In addition to these three relay teams, many Pilot individuals will also compete for the men in St. Louis. On the track for the Pilots, Phillips has qualified in the 400m, Warhop hit the mark in both the 100m and the 200m, and Calon Naragon will compete in the marathon. As for the field events, JJ Jackson and Travis LaVine hit the standard in the shot put, Zach Burrington qualified in the pole vault, and Jackson also hit the mark in the hammer.

On the women’s side, the 4x400m relay team of Heather Rathbun, Calyn Zahl, Jessie Spearman, and Beenne Capre will compete at the national meet. Emily Weaver will serve as the 4x400m relay alternate. Amber Wray will be the other Lady Pilot competing on the track as she has qualified in the 5,000m. The women’s squad will be well represented in the field as they have qualified in ten event spots. Amanda Westcott and Nichole Arnold lead the way as they have each hit the mark in two events. Westcott has qualified in both the triple jump and the long jump and Arnold has hit the standard in the shot put and discus. Other long jumpers that have qualified include Kati Beutler and Stephanie Harwood. Rounding out the women’s national roster are pole vaulters Danae Ellison, Ann O’Keefe, Caitlyn Gager, and April Monaweck.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Confidence…

*Full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing
You’ve sacrificed your bodies, your time, and your energy; now be confident and put trust in the Lord that he will see you through.

*Belief in oneself and one’s power or abilities
Do you believe WE can be the best this weekend? WE are prepared, our time is now!

~Bethel College Track and Field~

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Weather Still No Match For the Blue Wave

Women’s Track Places 3rd, Men 5th At Little State

The Bethel College men’s and women’s track & field teams both turned in highly successful efforts at the Indiana Intercollegiate Track & Field Championships held this weekend at the IUPUI Stadium in Indianapolis. The women’s team placed third while the men’s squad placed fifth at the meet comprised of every non—Division 1 school in the state.

In the women’s competition, the Lady Pilots earned three 1st place finishes led by Ann O’Keefe in the pole vault clearing 10’6”. Natalie Young won the javelin with a throw of 113’6” and Amanda Westcott won the triple jump with a leap of 36’4”. Bethel also had three 2nd place finishes including Nichole Arnold in the shot put with a throw of 42’6”, Danae Ellison in the pole vault clearing 10’0” and Arnold again in the discus with a throw of 138’6”. The Lady Pilot 4x400m relay team of Heather Rathbun, Calyn Zahl, Beenne Capre, and Jessie Spearman placed 3rd with a time of 4:11.71. Finishing fourth for Bethel were Holly Farrar in the discus with a throw of 126’9”, Amber Wray in the 5000m run with a time of 18:35.86, and the 4x100m relay team of Capre, Spearman, Zahl, and Katie Beutler with a time of 51.38.

On the men’s side, Bethel earned two 1st place finishes led by Zach Burrington in the pole vault clearing 14’11”, and JJ Jackson in the shot put with a throw of 53’1”. Finishing fourth for the Pilots were Vincent Reel in the 800m run with a time of 1:59.12, Travis Lavine in the shot put with a throw of 47’8”, and JW Maierle in the long jump with a leap of 21’11”.


As a team, the Pilots showed excellent mental toughness and willingness to go the extra mile; which are attributes of a true champion. The Blue Wave will return to action next Saturday, April 19th, competing at the Olivet Nazarene Invitational in Illinois. Olivet is the last step as the Pilots gear up to make a move on the MCC Championships April 25th-26th.



Blue Wave Rolls On

Blue Wave Build on Success at Windy Purdue Invitational

Team & Individual Results

The Bethel College men’s and women’s track teams traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana on Saturday to compete in the Purdue University Invitational Meet and turned in several impressive performances.

The Bethel men’s team was led by Chris Warhop who finished first in the 100m dash with a time of 11.16. Nate Phillips placed second in the 400m dash with a time of 49.10, and the Pilot 4x100m relay team of Warhop, Phillips, Brandon Thomas and Jovone Palmer also placed second with a time of 42.69.

The Pilots earned 5 fourth—place finishes and 7 fifth—place finishes as well at the meet. Fourth place honors went to Vincent Reel in the 800m run with a time of 1:57.92, Brad Wilson in the 110m hurdles with a time of 17.52, Bryce Matteson in the 3000m steeple chase with a time of 10:50.02, Zach Burrington in the pole vault clearing 15’7”, and JJ Jackson in the shot put with a toss of 50’11”. Fifth place honors went to Scott Robinson in the 800m run with a time of 1:58.35, Ryan Waybright in the 3000m steeple chase with a time of 10:52.83, William Walker in the high jump clearing 6’6”, JW Maierle in the long jump with a leap of 22’5”, Travis Lavine in the shot put with a toss of 48’10”, Jeff Hardman in the javelin with a throw of 172’11”, and the Pilot 4x400m relay team of Palmer, Phillips, Reel, and Jontae Randolph with a time of 3:26.53.
The Bethel women’s team turned in 3 third—place finishes led by Allison Schuck in the 3000m steeple chase with a time of 13:15.18, Nichole Arnold in the discus with a throw of 142’5”, and the Lady Pilot 4x400m relay team of Heather Rathbun, Jessie Spearman, Calyn Zahl, and Beenne Capre with a time of 4:02.70.

The Lady Pilots earned 1 fourth—place finish as well as 2 fifth—place honors at the meet. Finishing fourth in the shot put was Nichole Arnold with a toss of 43’0”, and placing fifth in the 100m dash was Katie Beutler with a time of 12.89, and Amber Wray in the 5000m run with a time of 18:27.63.

Bethel track will be back in action next Friday and Saturday, April 11—12, when they travel to Indianapolis to take part in the Indiana Intercollegiates at IUPUI.

Bethel Pilot Blue Wave Welcomes Northwoods...

Robby Burns

Robby Burns, a senior hurdler from North Wood High School, has decided to continue his academic and athletic careers at Bethel College beginning next Fall.Burns has personal bests of 15.01 in the 110m high hurdles and 41.00 in the 300m intermediate hurdles. He also has run the 400m in 52.00 for the Panthers. Burns brings leadership qualities to the Pilot program as well as is indicated by him being named team captain both his junior and senior seasons for the track team.

“We are excited with the addition of Robby Burns to our track program here at Bethel College,” says head track coach Tony Natali. “Robby will help bolster our hurdle areas right away and with his work ethic and athletic ability has unlimited potential in both hurdle events. He also brings many leadership qualities which will become more important for us as he develops in our program.”

All of us at runthrowjump want to wish you a warm welcome to the family Robby!

Bethel Pilot Blue Wave Welcomes...

Robby Gingerich

Fairfield High School senior Robby Gingerich has signed a letter of intent to attend Bethel College and continue his academic, track and basketball careers with the Pilots.

In track, he has been named All-Northeast Corner Conference as a regional champion and school record holder as part of the 4x400 relay team. He has been a three-time distance team MVP. He was a two-time MVP in cross-country.In basketball, this past season he averaged 11.8 points, 3.1 steals and 4.8 assists per game for the Falcons. Last season he averaged 10 points, 2 steals and 6 assists per game as Fairfield advanced all the way to the 2A state final four.

“We are very excited to have Robby join our track program,” said Bethel track head coach Tony Natali. “He is a great fit with his work ethic. He will add depth in our middle distance events and will be a solid contributor all around.”

Gingerich is a four-sport letter winner at Fairfield in cross-country, football, basketball and track. He has captained the football, basketball and track teams.

Track Opens Outdoor Season With Sweep Of Goshen Invitational

Cold No Match For Pilot Success

The Bethel College men’s and women’s track teams got their outdoor seasons off to a flying start in the Goshen College Invitational on Saturday. The Bethel men and women both placed first scoring 298 and 311.5 points respectively.

The Bethel men’s team recorded 10 first place winners led by Jovone Palmer in the 100m dash with a time of 11.35. Nate Phillips won the 400m dash with a time of 49.39, and Vincent Reel won the 800m run with a time of 2:00.50. The Pilots swept all three relay events beginning with the 4x100m relay team of Chris Warhop, Brandon Thomas, Palmer, and Phillips with a time of 42.81. The 4x400m relay team of Phillips, Palmer, Arran Patrick, and Jontae Randolph turned in a time of 3:30.61 while the 4x800m relay team of Reel, Scott Robinson, Ryan Starkel, and Andrew Gray recorded a time of 8:13.03. In the field events, Zach Burrington won the pole vault clearing 15’3”, Warhop won the long jump with a leap of 20’6”, Alex Walsh won the triple jump with a jump of 41’4”, and Jeff Hardman won the javelin with a toss of 181’2”.

The Pilots earned 7 second place finishes as well, paced by Palmer in the 200m dash with a time of 22.96, Robinson in the 800m run with a time of 2:00.51, Gray in the 1500m run with a time of 4:19.55, Raymond Duttweiler in the 3000m run with a time of 9:52.19, JW Maierle in the long jump with a leap of 20’5”, Drew Bishop in the javelin with a toss of 172’2”, and JJ Jackson in the shot put with a throw of 49’”.

The Bethel women’s team likewise recorded 10 first place performances led by Kati Beutler in the 100m dash with a time of 13.09, Beenne Capre in the 200m dash with a time of 26.63, and Jessie Spearman in the 400m dash with a time of 1:01.09. The Lady Pilots also swept all three relay events beginning with the 4x100m relay team of Spearman, Beutler, Calyn Zahl, and Jessica Dirr with a time of 51.17. The 4x400m relay team of Zahl, Heather Rathbun, Capre, and Spearman turned in a time of 4:10.30 while the 4x800m relay team of Katie Heisey, Amber Wray, Ashley Wray, and Shelby Morrow recorded a time of 10:07.58. In the field events, Caitlyn Gager won the pole vault clearing 10’2”, Nichole Arnold won the discus with a throw of 138’4”, Natalie Young won the javelin with a toss of 116’7”, and Arnold won the shot put with a throw of 39’1”.

The Lady Pilots earned 8 runner—up finishes, paced by Capre in the 400m dash with a time of 1:01.26, Danielle Lewis in the 5000m run with a time of 19:25.37, Emily Weaver in the 100m hurdles with a time of 16.64, Laura Winningham in the 3000m run with a time of 13:18.90, Ann O’Keefe in the pole vault clearing 10’2”, Beutler in the long jump with a leap of 15’10_”, Amanda Westcott in the triple jump with a jump of 33’ 2_”, and Lacey Litteral in the hammer throw with a toss of 133’7”.

Bethel track will be back in action next Saturday, April 5th, when they travel to West Lafayette, Indiana to take part in the Purdue University Invitational.

Bethel Pilots Blue Wave Welcomes...

Haleigh Sanders

Haleigh Sanders from West Vigo High School in Terre Haute has signed a letter of intent for the Bethel College Track team.Sanders has personal bests of 59.7 in the 400m, 27.5 in the 200m, and 13.5 in the 100m dash. Sanders also has a personal best of 16-4 in the long jump. Haleigh holds the school record in the 4x400m relay at 4:13.20.Sanders’ accomplishments include being conference champion in the 400m and the long jump in 2007 and in the 4x400m relay in 2006 and 2007. Haleigh was sectional champion and regional runner up in the 400m in 2007. Sanders was a state qualifier in the 400m in 2007 as well.

“We look forward with great anticipation to Haleigh being in our program,” says Bethel College head track coach Tony Natali. “Haleigh has the makings of being a special runner for us. Her best days are still ahead of her and I know with hard work she can reach her untapped potential.”

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Senior Year Treat

Burrington National Champion At NAIA Track Indoor Nationals

On the third and final day of competition at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championship Meet in Johnson City, Tennessee, Bethel senior, Zach Burrington, became an NAIA National Champion by finishing 1st in the men’s pole vault. Zach cleared a height of 16’9” which is a Bethel College record and earned him NAIA All-American honors as well. In other men’s action on Saturday, Bethel’s J.J. Jackson placed 16th in the country in the men’s shot put with a throw of 50’1_”. Meanwhile on the women’s side, Bethel’s Nichole Arnold finished 11th in the nation in the women’s shot put with a throw of 41’0_” and Amanda Westcott placed 14th in the country in the women’s triple jump with a leap of 36’5_” for the Lady Pilots.

Day Two Summary
On the second day of competition at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championship Meet in Johnson City, Tennessee, the Bethel College Pilots turned in an historic performance in the women's pole vault. The Lady Pilots claimed three of the nation’s top seven spots in the event. Caitlyn Gager cleared a height of 12’0” and was the national runner-up. Teammate, Danae Ellison, cleared a height of 11’6” and placed 6th in the nation while Ann O’Keefe also cleared 11’6” and finished seventh in the country. Gager and Ellison both earned NAIA All-American honors for their efforts. On the men’s side, Bethel’s Nate Phillips placed 18th in the nation in the men’s 400m race with a time of 50.56. The meet will conclude on Saturday with several more Pilot athletes competing in various events.

Day One Summary
On the opening day of the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championship Meet in Johnson City, Tennessee, the Bethel College Pilots competed in a pair of relay events. For the men, Bethel’s 4x800m relay team of Scott Robinson, Ryan Starkel, Vincent Reel and Andy Gray finished with a time of 7:56.70 placing 12th in the nation. Meanwhile, the Bethel women’s 4x400m relay team of Jessie Spearman, Heather Rathbun, Emily Weaver and Beenne Capre finished with a time of 4:07.36 placing 20th in the country. Both performances were best times for the Pilots this indoor season.

The meet continues on Friday when Nate Phillips will represent the Pilots in the men’s 400m race and the Bethel pole vaulting trio of Caitlyn Gager, Ann O’Keefe, and Danae Ellison will compete in the women’s pole vault.