Dyer Breaks 32-Year Old School Record, Hits NCAA Qualifying Mark

Katie Dale

Eric Dyer broke a long-standing school record at the Denison Invitational Friday, headlining The College of Wooster’s track & field results at the non-scoring event, which also included fellow conference schools Kenyon College and Ohio Wesleyan University.

Dyer, a sophomore triple jump specialist, reached a mark of 46 feet, 9.5 inches, surpassing the former Wooster record holder, King Lewis, who had hit 46 feet, 5 inches way back in 1976. Lewis’ record stood as the third-oldest in men’s track & field at the College, while Dyer’s also will likely qualify him for the NCAA Div. III Championships in May, as it currently stands as the seventh-best triple jump in the nation.

Another Fighting Scot record was established on the women’s side, as Katie Dale reset her own school record in the hammer throw (111 feet, 5 inches).

The meet was a tune-up for next weekend’s NCAC Championships, so many events were contested among just a handful of participants. Nonetheless, Wooster’s Robert McConnell was the top pole vaulter (13 feet, 6 inches) and Steve Zumbrun won the shot put (44 feet, 5.25 inches), and in the women’s field, the Scots received first-place finishes from Dale in the shot put (35 feet, 6 inches), Ali Drushal in both the 400-meter hurdles (1:09.53) and javelin (109 feet, 2 inches), Anna Gil in the 1500 meters (5:19.96), and Elizabeth Wardrop in both the high jump (4 feet, 10.25 inches) and triple jump (31 feet, 8.75 inches).

Also this weekend, a pair of Wooster athletes are participating in the two-day NCAC heptathlon.