Hickox, Farber Claim Event Victories in Track & Field Season Opener

RIPON, Wis.--- North Central Track and Field opened the season on Saturday at the Sherman-Lukoski Invitational hosted by Ripon College. Both teams earned a fifth place team finish and junior Chris Hickox won his eighth consecutive meet in the high jump while freshman Alex Farber claimed 10 points with his first place finish in the long jump.

Hickox (Mobile, Ala.) met his personal best with a 6-10 clearance and raised his own school record by two inches. That mark also qualified Hickox for the NCCAA Track & Field National Championship Meet where he will defend his 2007 National Championship. With his win in the high jump at Ripon (Ripon, Wis.) Hickox has won the last eight meets he has competed at. He also just missed qualifying for the national meet in the 110H hurdles while finishing fourth with a time of 16.84 only six tenths off the qualifying mark.

Farber (Little Falls, Minn.) also turned in a very impressive day while winning the men's long jump with a distance of 19-11 3/4. While being over two feet less than his best jump Farber still claimed over 11 inches on the next closest competitor and broke Hickox' NCU record in the event. He was also hindered by the construction going on at the Ripon College track and football complex which forced the jumpers to run on an aspalt approach and without spikes. Even with those issues he narrowly missed hitting the NCCAA Nationals Qualifying mark of 20-5.

The women were lead by freshman Stephanie Lensert (Casper, Wyo.) who finished second in the 100 hurdles with a time of 18.48 and is within a second of qualifying for the national meet in that event. Lensert also scored for the Lady Rams in the 200 with an eighth place finish.

Freshman Cross Country All-American Amanda Trombley (Grand Rapids, Minn.) made her first appearance on the track with a sixth place finish in the 800 with a time of 2:43.90 and also placed 12th in the 1500.

Sophomore Mary Saviano (Bemidji, Minn.) rounded out the scoring for NCU with a sixth place finish in the 100 hurdles.

The Rams are scheduled to compete at UW-River Falls Falcon Invitational this Saturday at 10am.