The Hillsdale College men's track and field team didn't have to travel far to get in a high-level meet on Friday, going a little over an hour north to fact off against multiple NCAA DI programs at the annual MSU Spartan Invitational.
Conditions were cold and windy, making personal best marks hard to come by, but the Chargers persevered with some great performances nonetheless.
Leading the way was junior Cass Dobrowolski, who cleared a season best height of 2.09 meters to not only easily win the high jump, but also to set a NCAA DII provisional qualifying mark in the event that currently ranks 11th nationally. Dobrowolski had the competition won by clearing 2.09 meters, and chose to skip the intermediate height of 2.12 meters to take a crack at a personal best mark of 2.14 meters, coming up just short of clearing a height that likely could have punched his ticket to the national meet in May.
Hillsdale's men also had a good showing on the track. Senior Sean Fagan captured the victory in both hurdles events, winning the 110 hurdles in 15.53 and the 400 hurdles in 55.80, both marks that show the former All-American is in solid form early in the season. Sophomore Colsen Conway also took third in the 400m hurdles in 56.88, and sophomore Connor McCormick took sixth with a time of 1:00.65.
The Chargers sprint crew also put on a good show. Hillsdale's team of Owen Gardner, Drew Ransom, Joseph Ritzer and Jamahl Burke won the 4x100m relay in 42.69, while Ransom also earned a runner-up finish in the 200m dash in 22.35 and a third place finish in the 100m dash in 11.89. Gardner took fourth in the 200m dash with a personal best time of 22.96, and Conway also placed fifth in the 100m dash in 11.98.
In the 400m dash, senior Benu Meintjes placed third for the Chargers in 49.93, with Burke taking fourth in 49.99. Hillsdale also had two high placers in the 800m run, with junior Ross Kuhn taking runner-up honors in 1:57.35 and sophomore Mark Masaka placing fourth in 1:57.50.
Hillsdale got a pair of fourth-place finishes in the throws, with Ben Haas taking fourth in the hammer throw with a mark of 61.59 meters, and Ethan Dorrell placing fourth in the javelin with a throw of 49.22 meters. Alfonso Garcia also took third in the triple jump for the Chargers with a distance of 13.34 meters.
The Chargers have a long road trip next weekend, as Hillsdale will send its top athletes out to California to compete at Long Beach State and Azuza Pacific in two of the top track events in the country, with a field from across the nation scheduled to compete in both events.
Photo by David Beach