Kristen Meister, with Coach Raymond Brewer, stood in the high jump pit Friday afternoon with the bar at her record-setting 5 feet 11 1/4 inches.

If you pass by the Davidson College track, you’ll notice the high jump poles and bar are still in place. That’s because they are still in use. Freshman standout Kristen Meister is working out daily in preparation for next week’s NCAA Division I track championships.

She is one of many Wildcat athletes who led their teams this spring. Read on for a recap of baseball, croquet, men’s golf, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s track.

SIX FEET OVER

There’s a hand-written sign taped to the outside of Kristen Meister’s dorm room that reads “Occupied.” She’s the last athlete among all the Wildcat spring sports team members still competing, which makes for a spooky night alone in the normally bustling dorms.

“I keep the door locked,” she said.

Ms. Meister is coming off of record-breaking success at conference and regional championships. She cleared 5 feet, 11 1/4 inches (1.81 meters) on her second attempt at the NCAA East Regional Division I meet May 26 in Florida, earning second place and a trip to the national collegiate championships June 6-9 in Sacramento, Calif. That makes her the second Wildcat woman ever to qualify for the NCAA championship meet.

“That was the most intense meet of the year, but I felt really prepared for it,” she said of the east regions.

Her jump matched her personal best mark set in March at the indoor Southern Conference championships (pictured above, courtesy of SoCon Sports), when she just missed a trip to indoor nationals. The regional performance in May also set a new outdoor school record for Davidson College. That follows a Southern Conference outdoor championships meet in April at which Ms. Meister won the high jump (clearing 5’10″) and was a starter for two school-record-breaking relays (the 4×100 and the 4×400, which both placed 4th).

“I like starting relays,” Ms. Meister said. “I like to get out there and get the lead.”

The freshman, who also competes in the hurdles, hopes to develop into a heptathlete, a seven-event challenge with running, jumping and throwing events.

Coach Raymond Brewer said qualifying for nationals was not a goal set at the beginning of the season for Ms. Meister.

“But as the season progressed, I began to see that this could happen,” he said.

Ms. Meister was an All-American jumper during high school in Toledo, Ohio, and considered a number of schools, including Duke and Cornell, before coming to Davidson. She said her father’s emphasis on a liberal arts education and her own preference for a smaller environment led her to Davidson. She intends to major in English.

“When I got to visit Davidson and got to know the coaches, I fell in love with it,” Ms. Meister explained. “I’ve got a great coach and it’s been a great first year. My success speaks to Davidson — you have to be enjoying school and adjusting well to compete well on the track.”

Looking to the national championships, Ms. Meister has her sights set on clearing six feet. She made three attempts at that height at the east region meet.

“I cleared it with my body, but hit the bar with my heels,” she said.

Her family will be in Sacramento to cheer her on. She will be one of 27 jumpers and the bar will start at 5’9″, the highest start level of any meet for Ms. Meister.

“We’re really starting to taper our workouts,” she said. “Hopefully I will peak at nationals.”

OTHER SPRING SPORTS
Baseball: The Wildcats finished 19-34 overall, losing to Citadel in the opening round of the SoCon baseball tournament. Senior Rob Wilson was named designated hitter and sophomore Matt Webb relief pitcher on the All-Southern Conference Second Team. Wilson batted a team-high .387 (77 for 199) with seven home runs and 33 RBIs.

Croquet: Davidson’s own native son Douglas Clark-Brown, son of Mary Jo Clark and William Brown, paired with David Orsbon to claim the national championship title in Croquet Golf in May. The duo sank Navy in a 7-4 win in the final match.

Golf: The best tournament of the year for the team was the 49er Collegiate Classic held in Concord in October, where the team placed 3rd among 15. This spring, Davidson placed 8th at the SoCon meet. Senior Alex Knoll had a low of 68 strokes and averaged 73.52 for the season. He tied for second at the SoCon championships with an even par 72, the highest place for Davidson since 1972.

Lacrosse: The team had a 5-8 record. The leading scorer was midfielder Becky Horton, who scored 27 goals over the season.

Tennis: After climbing to 66th in the national collegiate rankings, the Wildcat women’s tennis team finished their season 18-7, losing to Charleston in the semifinals of the SoCon tournament. Junior Kelsey Linville was selected for the SoCon all-conference first team. The men’s tennis team recorded an 8-16 season, losing to Elon in SoCon quarterfinals. Junior Phillip Compeau had a team best 14 wins in singles and doubles and was named to the ESPN Magazine’s Academic All-District III Second Team.

Track: Besides the outstanding performance by Kristen Mesiter mentioned above, the Wildcat women’s track team was also led in the distance events by junior Brenna Burns, who set a school record in the 10,ooo meters (35:48.41) and the 5,000 (16:51.35). Burns was named Most Outstanding Track Performer for the Indoor SoCon Championships. Meanwhile the men’s track team placed third in the SoCon championships, which matches the best-ever finish for Davidson. Senior Doug Noreen was selected as Most Valuable Track Performer after winning the 800 (1:53.05) and the 1500 meters (3.59.52). Three men qualified for the East Region meet, including Noreen, Dave Ritchie in the 400 hurdles and Beaux Jones in the javelin.