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T
hey’ve come from 32nd in their region to one of the
top programs in the nation. It’s been a journey through
injuries and frustration. But this spring, the Yellow
Jackets track & field team broke the finish line tape.
Olivia Esbenshade ’17, Carsyn Koch ’18, Lyndsey
Smith ’19, and Olivia Kundo ’20 finished third
in the distance medley relay (DMR) to earn All-
America honors at this year’s NCAA Division II Track & Field Indoor
Championships. Their time of 11:19.55 wiped out their own school
record by more than 10 seconds, and they registered the third-fastest
performance in NCAA Division II indoor history.
Daniel Michalski ’18, Josiah Bernard ’18, Ethan Gatchell ’19, and
Wyatt Hartman ’17 ran 9:53.72 in the men’s DMR, second-fastest time
in Cedarville’s history, and earned All-America honors for their eighth-
place finish.
In addition to the DMR, Koch competed in the 800-meter;
Esbenshade and Michalski ran the mile. Koch, who ran the 800 at
the Olympic Trials last year, repeated as NCAA champion, crossing
in 2:05.65. Michalski earned his second All-America honor, finishing
seventh in the nation at 4:09.45. Esbenshade ran 4:52.47, one of the top
five-mile times in Cedarville women’s indoor track history.
LONG ROAD
The program’s turnaround is especially sweet for seniors like
Esbenshade. “I’ve struggled with a lot of injuries and missed going to
nationals by one place two years ago,” she related. “None of the girls my
freshman year had even broken 19 minutes in a 5K race, and now the
whole varsity is running 17s.”
“I never thought about making nationals as a freshman,” Koch
shared. “It wasn’t in the realm of possibility. We’ve realized you don’t
have to be superhuman, but it does take hard work.”
And the right atmosphere. “Coach Bo [Jeff Bolender ’91] would
never toot his own horn,” she offered. “He’s taken this team from where
we were freshman year to now. This program is phenomenal.”
Cedarville Magazine
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