May 3, 2018
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University track and field team powered its way to fifth place finishes at the Heartland Conference championships for both the men and women. Eight members of the Beaver track and field program were honored for their efforts over the weekend, including four First Team All-HCAC selections!
Freshman Gabe Makin (Elida) broke the school record in men's pole vault, held since 2004 by Bluffton vault coach Clint Dillon, with a winning clearance of 16' 1.25". This also established a new conference championship meet record and of this date, ranks Makin 9th in the nation among Division 3 vaulters.
Female counterpart Tori Bowen (Wapakoneta/Elida) also established a new championship meet record with her winning clearance of 11' 8.50" en route to First Team honors.
On the track, junior Jennie Matteson (Guysville/Alexander) fulfilled a goal she had set at last year's championship, winning the women's 10,000 meter race with an impressive margin of over a minute on her next closest competitor.
The 5,000 meter race was dominated from start to finish with sophomore Alexis Cash (Gaines, MI/Lake Fenton) never out of first place for the entire 12 1/2 laps. Junior teammate Jennie Matteson (Guysville/Alexander) made it 1-2 for the Beavers, never ceding second the entire race as Bluffton's women secured First and Second Team honors for the 5000 meters.
In the men's 10k, sophomore Dakota Frost (Edgerton/Hicksville) was 2nd in the warm and windy conditions the men faced in their race, while senior Kyle Knezovich (Utica) joined Frost on the Second Team with a 2nd place in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles.
Junior Sarah Oliver (Lexington) helped the Beavers continue their dominance in the pole vault with Second Team honors following her clearance of 11' 2.50" on Friday night as Bluffton claimed three of the six podium finishes in vault!
A third place finish by sophomore Arie Cox (Ontario) propelled the sophomore to honorable mention All-HCAC recognition after taking a full three minutes off her debut 10k two weeks ago.
Bluffton juniors JACOB HILL (Dalton/Wayne) and MICHELLE KELSEY (South Whitley, Ind./Whitko) were also recognized by the HCAC by being placed on the All-Conference Sportsmanship team for the 2018 season. The award has been developed as part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative. Members of the All-HCAC Sportsmanship team are selected by the coaches and their teammates as individuals who demonstrate the ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the court.
-BEAVERS-