The Hillsdale College men's track and field team's two decathletes got their first chance to contest the event outdoors in 2023 on Thursday and Friday, traveling to New Concord, Ohio for the All-Ohio Multis.
Sophomores Cass Dobrowolski and John Baldwin each put together a solid first performance of the season, taking second and third, respectively, in the decathlon competition, held by Muskingum University.
Dobrowolski, contesting his first-ever decathlon, scored an impressive 5,663 points, with three first place finishes in the 10 events on the way to a runner-up finish. A 2022 NCAA DII Outdoor Championships qualifier in the high jump, Dobrowolski easily won the high jump competition with a clearance of 1.94 meters, and also took first in both the shot put (10.06 meters) and the javelin (40.80 meters) as well. Dobrowolski finished second or third in six of the remaining seven events in a solid all-around performance.
Baldwin, meanwhile, also was competing in his first collegiate decathlon outdoors after several successful heptathlons indoors, and placed third with a score of 5,450 points. The sophomore won the 100m dash (11.86), the 110m hurdles (15.47) and the pole vault (3.80 meters) and placed second in four more events for the Chargers on the way to a top three finish.
Both athletes are likely to contest the decathlon again for Hillsdale at the G-MAC Championships in May. First, however, Hillsdale's full men's squad will head to either the Tiffin Extravaganza in Ohio or the Bison Outdoor Classic at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania this weekend.
Photo by David Beach