by Hailey de la Vara '21
The Ohio Wesleyan women's track & field team is breezing past its competition this year, with 2 individuals who are national leaders and 3 meet wins during the indoor season.
Sophomore Peyton Howell (Canton/Glen Oak) recorded the best mark in NCAA Division III in the high jump (5-8½) this season, with second place 1½ inches behind at 5-7.
Howell has been competing in track & field for more than 8 years and attributes her success to her commitment and dedication to the sport.
"My accomplishments validate my commitment and make me even more driven to become a better athlete. I got to be the best high jumper through hard work, help from my fellow teammates, and head coach Kris Boey," Howell said.
Howell isn't the only women's track & field athlete who has had immense success this season. Junior Chase Patton (Delaware/Hayes) ranked second nationally in the pole vault (12-1½) and was a quarter of an inch off the top mark. She set a school record with her performance.
With the track & field season being cut short last spring due to COVID-19, Patton attributes her success to overcoming the time lost.
"Losing a season for a pole vaulter is very hard because we don't have access to poles and pits when we are on breaks. Coming back this year, I told myself that every meet was an opportunity and I have the power to let them wither or overcome them," Patton said.
Patton broke the school record set by All-American Sarah Bechtel back in 2014 by more than an inch, and Howell is a quarter of an inch behind breaking the school high jump record set by 4-time NCAA Division III champion Cirrus Robinson.
Although the 2021 North Coast Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III indoor track & field championships were canceled, the team looks to continue its success into the outdoor season and both athletes have high hopes for the future.
"The outdoor season will be the best one yet. I want to break the school record, jump a new personal best, and make it to nationals. The only obstacle in the way is myself, but as I grow so does my confidence," Howell said.
Patton's mindset is similar to Howell's as she hopes to keep up the momentum after the school record.
"I am learning to trust the process and doing what our coaches have planned for me. The process is in fact working and will get me to where I want to be for conference and outdoor nationals," Patton said.
Head track & field coach Kris Boey is optimistic about the success of the team going forward.
"The joy of coaching is seeing an athlete decide to think bigger and then put in the work to achieve something really special. Both Peyton and Chase excelled this season. In a time when it would have been easy to compromise one's goals, they never flinched. Like all of our team members, they lost the opportunity to compete for both a conference and national title. Instead of succumbing to the disappointment, both of these women simply decided to make the most of the opportunities at hand. The success of this indoor season will lead to an outstanding spring. With a heightened sense of confidence, the outdoor championships will offer the two student-athletes the opportunity to shine. For Chase and Peyton, and all of our team members, the best is yet to come," Boey said.
The Bishops look to continue their winning streak in their first outdoor meet at Wittenberg on March 26.
