A split squad found success in two different locations for the Hillsdale College men's track and field team this weekend, including the team's first NCAA DII provisional qualifying time in the distance medley relay this season.
GVSU Big Meet -- Friday and Saturday
At the Big Meet hosted by Grand Valley State in Allendale, Michigan, this weekend, the Chargers' distance medley relay team put on a performance worthy of the grand stage.
Competing against a large field that included several Division I schools, Hillsdale's team of Ross Kuhn, Benu Meintjes, Ian Calvert and Mark Miller finished in 10:04.12, good for 16th place in the event and also under the NCAA DII provisional qualifying time of 10:05.84.
It's just the third provisional qualifying mark this season for the Chargers, joining Ben Haas in the weight throw and Ben Raffin in the pole vault, though the Chargers will hope to add to that number in the coming weeks.
Hillsdale had finishes in three other events at the Big Meet on Friday, with Meintjes and Calvert teaming with Sean Fagan and Jamahl Burke to run a season-best 3:19.01 and take sixth in the 4x400 relay leading the way. That time is also the second fastest among G-MAC teams in the event this season.
The Chargers' Ben Raffin also took fourth in the pole vault, clearing 4.82 meters, and Fagan also finished 24th in the 60m hurdles.
Reggie Cleveland Invitational -- Saturday
While a few competitors were in Allendale, the bulk of Hillsdale's team was in Tiffin, Ohio on Saturday at the Reggie Cleveland Invitational, looking to get fast seed times in for the G-MAC Championships coming up in two weeks.
The Chargers won three events on the day, with freshman Preston Fagerlin taking first in the mile in 4:24.22, just ahead of teammate Richie Johnston in fourth in 4:30.23 in the event, freshman Maliq Brock winning his first collegiate open 400 meter dash in 51.11, and sophomore Joshua Nichols taking first in the triple jump with a distance of 13.78 meters.
Nichols also took fourth in the long jump (6.44 meters) for the Chargers, and freshman Cass Dobrowolski took fourth (1.96 meters) and sophomore Charlie Andrews fifth (1.91 meters) in the high jump in the field as well for Hillsdale.
On the track, sophomore Sean Hoeft finished runner-up in the 800m run (1:59.44) for the Chargers, and freshman Oliver Samuelsson took fifth in the 200m dash (22.53).
With the G-MAC Championships in Findlay just around the corner, the Chargers will be home this coming weekend for the Hillsdale Tune-up on Saturday, Feb. 19, looking to take advantage of one final chance to lay down fast times before the championship season begins. A few athletes may also travel to Akron, Ohio to compete in the Campbell Invitational next Friday as well.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan