With good track weather in the state of Michigan for the first time in the Spring of 2022 this past weekend, sophomore hurdler Sean Fagan of the Hillsdale College men's track and field team took advantage.
Fagan had a banner weekend at the Elaine Leigh Invite hosted by Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and his success earned him accolades as the G-MAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday afternoon. It's Fagan's first weekly conference award of the season and the second of his career.
The sophomore earned the first two outdoor NCAA DII provisional qualifying marks of his career on Saturday, taking third in the 110 meter hurdles in 14.45, the 33rd-fastest time in Division II currently, and runner-up in the 400m hurdles in 53.12, the 26th-fastest mark in the event to date at the DII level.
Both were personal bests for Fagan, whose 110m hurdles time is currently the fastest in the G-MAC, and whose 400m hurdles time currently ranks third in the conference.
Fagan has been a standout for the Chargers since arriving on campus last season. In his first indoor campaign in 2020-21, Fagan broke the school record in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.14, and also ran a leg on the G-MAC Indoor title-winning 4x400m relay (3:21.20) that winter.
He followed that up in the 2021-22 indoor season by winning the 60m hurdles championship, in a time of 8.29, and has carried that momentum into a strong outdoor season that has seen him earn provisional marks not just in the two hurdles events but also in a 4x400m relay (3:13.36) with teammates Benu Meintjes, Jamahl Burke and Ian Calvert.
Fagan will look to continue improving as the Chargers build toward the G-MAC Outdoor Championships two weeks from now, and the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships at the end of May. Next up for Hillsdale is the Walsh Tune-Up Invite, taking place this Wednesday and Thursday in North Canton, Ohio.
Photo by Reily Rogers