Few athletes expect to go out and break one of the oldest program records on the book in their first collegiate meet.
But freshman Thomas Flud did just that on Friday at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, kicking off the Hillsdale College men's track and field team's 2024 Outdoor season with a bang this weekend.
Flud threw 61.68 meters in the javelin to take second in the competition at the Shamrock Invite, in the process breaking both Hillsdale's school record set by Pete Dzwilewski of 61.32 meters in 1987, and also simultaneously the G-MAC record of 61.38 meters set by Garrett Wilson of Tiffin in 2021.
As befitting of a record-setting mark, Flud's first collegiate performance already has him in the national conversation, ranking sixth in the nation at the NCAA DII level in the early portion of the the campaign. And with virtually his whole career ahead of him, there's plenty of room for Flud to continue adding to his new record.
Flud's record-setting start wasn't the only good thing to happen for the Chargers this weekend, as Hillsdale took a small group of throwers to the invite to open the season. Freshman teammate Ethan Dorrell also got off to a promising start in the javelin, placing in the top eight with a throw of 52.06 meters, while junior Matthew Belanich took second in the hammer throw with a personal best mark of 53.16 meters.
In addition, freshman Jackson Childress had strong finishes in both the hammer throw and discus, placing seventh in the hammer with a throw of 47.18 meters in his first outdoor collegiate meet, and ninth in the discus with a throw of 42.96 meters.
The full Chargers squad opens up outdoors next weekend with a trip to the Lee University Invite, with Hillsdale looking to build off this strong start.
Photo by Scott Galvan