The Hillsdale College men's track and field team kicked off 2024 with strong performances in their first meet back from Christmas Break on Friday, including three first place finishes and an NCAA Provisional mark.
The Chargers traveled to Findlay, Ohio to take on the host Oilers and a third G-MAC team, Ashland, in a tri-meet that represented the first action for all three programs since early December, and the beginning of the road to the G-MAC Championships in late February.
In the field, sophomore Ben Haas continued to excel for the Chargers in the weight throw, winning the event with a mark of 20.18 meters. That mark is an NCAA Provisional qualifying mark, though not one that surpasses the mark Haas set in the event in December, 20.39, which still ranks as the second-best throw at the NCAA DII level in the nation to date.
On the track, Hillsdale had several notable performances. Senior Sean Fagan kicked off his final indoor campaign with a victory in the 60m hurdles in 8.50, just ahead of teammate Colsen Conway, who finished second with a time of 8.61.
Two dual-sport athletes also did well in the sprints for the Chargers, as former Chargers football player Drew Ransom won the 200m dash in 23.21 in his first collegiate meet, and also took third in the 60m dash in 7.17. His teammate on both the football field and the track, Owen Gardner, finished runner-up to Ransom in the 200m dash with a time of 23.78, and senior Joseph Ritzer placed second in the 400m dash as well in 52.39.
Hillsdale also had a solid showing in longer distances. Alex Mitchell ran a personal best in the mile run, 4:20.41, to finish third, just ahead of teammate Richie Johnston who took fourth in 4:20.61. In the 3,000m run, freshman Caleb Youngstedt placed runner-up in his first collegiate 3K, finishing in 9:13.36, while teammate Caleb Oser placed third in a personal best time of 9:17.67.
The Chargers closed out the meet with a runner-up finish in the 4x400m relay, as Fagan, Conway, and Ritzer teamed up with Jamahl Burke to finish in 3:28.16.
Hillsdale will return to the track next weekend, racing at home for the first time in 2024 in the Hillsdale Winter Opener on Friday, Jan. 19. It's the first of three home meets in the indoor season for the Chargers.