Senior Thomas Oliver and sophomore Emmanuel Yego wade through the water in the 3000m steeplechase.
Hugo Santos
The Men’s Track and Field team secured second place at the GPAC Championships in Orange City, Iowa, with a total of 162 points, trailing behind Dordt University’s 185 points. Athletes clinched All-GPAC honors by achieving a Top 8 finish in individual events and a Top 3 finish in relays.
Sophomore Connor Bradley sprinted to sixth place in the 100m with a time of 10.75, while sophomore Joaquin Gutierrez secured seventh place in the 400m with a time of 48.96. Sophomore Emmanuel Yego claimed fifth place in the 800m, clocking in at 1:56.14. Sophomores Michael Grigsby and Will Dawes showed their prowess in the 1500m, with Grigsby taking seventh place at 4:06.10 and Dawes following closely in eighth place at 4:07.81.
Senior Thomas Oliver dominated the 3000m steeplechase, seizing victory in 9:16.57, with Yego finishing fourth in 9:43.63. Sophomore Nelson Ruto showcased his strength with two second-place finishes, clocking 15:02.74 in the 5000m and 31:49.38 in the 10,000m.
Senior Zach Turner set records, winning the 110m hurdles in a school and GPAC record time of 13.79. In the 400m hurdles, Turner triumphed again with a time of 52.02, while freshman Zach Fox secured fifth place at 55.98. The relay teams also excelled, with the 4x100m team clinching third place at 41.55 and the 4x800m team claiming second place at 7:47.33.
In the field events, senior Vince Lauenroth soared to second place in the triple jump with a leap of 14.09m/4602.75, accompanied by senior Trevor Malone in fourth place at 13.63m/44-08.75. Senior Carter Reckling showcased his skills with a fifth-place finish in the high jump at 1.97m/605.50, while senior Mike Pulliam secured fourth place in the pole vault at 4.55m/14-11.00.
Sophomore Cale Bessler delivered a clutch performance in the shot put, launching a throw of 15.54m/51-00.00 on his final attempt to secure fourth place. Junior Trey Dickey impressed with a third-place finish in the discus at 50.37m/16503, and freshman Mason Crumbliss claimed third place in the javelin with a toss of 58.08m/190-07. In the decathlon, freshman Andrew Harms secured second place with 6,159 points, followed by freshman Addison Croghan in third with 6,010 points. Senior Mason Zimmerman and junior Devin Jepson rounded out the team’s strong showing, placing seventh and eighth respectively.
The Tigers look ahead to the Concordia Twilight on May 10 in Seward for their next challenge.
Senior Zach Turner secures a win in 110m hurdles with a school-record and GPAC-record time of 13.79.
