Throughout the 2007 season, the Muhlenberg track and field programs demonstrated why they have been successful in the past and why they should

Mitchell improved the school record in the javelin from 127-8 when she arrived to 145-4 when she left.

continue to be successful in the future.

Seniors and freshmen garnered most of the accolades in another strong campaign for the Mules. Outdoors, the men’s and women’s teams both finished second at the Centennial Conference Championships, with the men matching their best showing ever and the women landing in the top two for the third year in a row. Indoors, the women were third, just a half-point out of second, and the men placed fourth.

Of the eight gold medals won by Muhlenberg individuals at the CC meets, three went to seniors and four to freshmen. Five of the eight runners on the two gold-medal relay teams were seniors and freshmen. A Mule female was named outstanding performer for field events at the CC Championships both indoors (a freshman) and outdoors (a senior).

Senior Sarah Mitchell earned the honor at the outdoor championships after winning the javelin to become the seventh four-time champion in CC history. Mitchell qualified for the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row, hitting the automatic standard with a school-record throw of

In addition to his gold in the 4x800, Mercado won two silver medals (in the 4x400 and DMR) at the CC indoor meet. He also won a bronze in the outdoor 800.

145-4 at The Lehigh Games. She also finished seventh in a field of mostly Division I throwers at the Penn Relays.

Alex Faust was named outstanding performer at the indoor meet, one of her many accomplishments during an outstanding freshman season. She won the pole vault with a meet-record height at the CC Championships both indoors and outdoors and set four school records (200 and pole vault, indoor and outdoors). In addition to her CC gold medals in the vault, Faust earned one silver and five bronzes as a sprinter, and she added a gold in the pole vault at the indoor ECAC Championships.

Four other Mules won multiple CC gold medals: senior Katie Hesselink-Hicks captured the high jump at both meets; and senior Lex Mercado, sophomore Stuart Udis and freshman Patrick Thornton all ran on the 4x800 relay teams that finished first indoors and outdoors. The indoor 4x800 team defended its 2006 title, which was the first not won by Haverford, while the outdoor quartet set a meet record.

Udis won the open 800 outdoors and came in second by a tenth of a second indoors. He also set a school record in the 1,000 meters indoors.

Rounding out Muhlenberg’s gold-medal winners at the CC Championships

Senior Jacquelyn Inverso placed in six events at the CC Outdoor Championships, with a best of second place in the long jump.

were a pair of freshmen at the outdoor meet – Debra Crockett in the shot put and Brendan Kirk in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. Crockett also broke the indoor school record in the shot put, and Kirk put his name in the record book in his gold-medal performance.

Senior Matthew Sallese broke the school record in the shot put both indoors and outdoors, toppling a 31-year-old mark outdoors. Also breaking school records were junior Dan Steinhart in the indoor 200, freshman Jeremiah Lachaud in the outdoor 200 and sophomore David Chorney in the indoor 3,000.