T&F AND XC NEWS  What a year it has been.  The Comet
men just shocked the Ohio Athletic Conference by finishing
third in the league championships.  What a great day it was for
Capital.  This ties our school record finish.  The women also
finished well at fifth and this is the best finish ever there too.

We are have been pretty excited about our 22 men and 14
women.  They won at Wilmington.  They placed well at the All-
Ohio.  Ramseyer and Hout were excited to see that in person.
They also traveled to Michigan State and did well up there.  That
is where the regionals will be and the Comets will know the course
and be ready.  Their biggest snag has been the heat and humidity.
It was so bad at Lehigh that their races were cancelled.  RATS!!!
So far to go to not be able to race.  The Comets just ran at
Oberlin and enjoyed the flat course with one hill - Mount Oberlin.
Read more about the teams at capital.edu

We recently had the big dedication of the new indoor track
surface.  There was a big crowd there for terrific food at 5:30
and the official dedication at 6:00.  The new pep band was
there and they sounded great.  Hout was pretty excited to
have his melodica there.  He was able to play the fight song
and the alma mater with the new band!!!

Did you hear about the track and field nationals where ‘77 grad
Joe Schleppi finished third in his age group in the discus. THIRD
IN THE NATION!!!  So amazing!!!  He even beat an Olympian,
although he was an Olympian in the high jump.  Hout remembers this
guy’s ability to jump 7-4 (we were actually in the same meet together-
the Florida relays) but he does not remember him throwing the discus.

CHIP SMITH IS THE RECORD HOLDER  We are so excited
about how the 2026 outdoor season ended with a new school record
holder in the 1500 meter.  Chip Smith took down the mark of Ed
Wigton from 2012 by running 3:55.40.  Just a few tenths behind
was Kolin Brake to give Capital an awesome 1-2.

MARIA DA CUNHA DID IT AGAIN For the second time in two
weeks this young woman broke Capital’s 400 hurdles record.  Way
to go, Maria!!!  This time it was up near Cleveland at Baldwin-Wallace
where they have had some pretty good hurdlers...........like Olympic
champion Harrison Dillard.  On his home track she ran a 1:03.48. 
That is one of the top times in the nation.  Read about her efforts at
the OAC championships below.  Pastor Hout says Maria is the greatest
400 hurdler in Capital history as she won the conference twice, won
the All-Ohio meet and set two school records.  No one can top that!!!

OAC CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MUSKIE LAND  It is with a tear
in the eye that I get to write about some seniors and their races at
the recent league meet.  There were a lot of great results especially
in the the men’s hammer, the 400, the steeple, the discus, the women’s
4x100 and both the men’s and women’s 4x400.  I was especially
moved by a near championship by Chip Smith who ran a fantastic
1500 personal record.  This was all done in his very last OAC
race.  He joins others who had personal records in their final OAC
like Red Trego (LJ), Joe Dobos (440H), Tim Berger (4x440), Aaron
Folsom (3 mile), Ted Rust (4x440), Chuck Renner (6 mile) and even
little old Mike Hout (440 hurdles).  Great job, Chip!!!  Maria Da
Cunha also had a personal best in her final OAC meet.  Her 400
hurdle time was not only a pr but it was also a new school record
as she brought home the championship.  The previous record was
held by Erica Basinger for twenty years.  Erica was a heck of an
athlete and is on Capital’s top ten list in five different events.  Great
work, Maria.  Below is part of a message I tried to send to her before
the meet.....

2026 INDOOR OAC CHAMPIONSHIPS  Maybe we don’t
have a lot of men hurdling, or high jumping.  And maybe our
women’s squad is still thin in some places but Capital University
made some terrifice statements at this year’s indoor league meet.
As a team, both the men and the women moved up the rankings.
The men’s 4x200 set an OAC record!!!  We had the most valuable
female sprinter after her many wins.  Our distance squad made
some news including winning the Distance Medley Relay.  All our
relays looked fabulous.  Who is that great thrower for Capital?  Wow,
what a great meet for the Comets.

ALUMNI MEETS  Our new coach has kept the tradition of an alumni
meet alive and we have had several of them.  It seems like we should be
able to get more alumni involved.  Here is a possible contact list:
1960’s-Jim Demo
1970’s-Joe Schleppi
1980’s-Mike Ramseyer
2000’s-Rachel Barends
2010’s-Elizabeth Stanton