By: Jenia Freewalt, sports information assistant

TIFFIN, Ohio - The Bluffton University Track and Field Team went back to Tiffin to give it their all against some more Division II competition on Friday and Saturday, February 5-6, 2021.

The throwers shined at the Tiffin Dragon Invite. In the men's weight throw, Michael Lindhorst (Lindsey/Woodmore) moved his mark another meter to a distance of 13.25. Kaylea Jachno, program director and head coach, said, "The throwers really showed up this meet. I'm excited to say there were five new PRs on the day, moving several of our throwers up the conference standings!"

Sophomore Emma Payne (Hicksville) moved her mark and conference placement with a new PR of 13.51.

Jachno was pleased with the overall effort and performance of the team, saying, "This weekend we really came together to compete. Friday and Saturday showed many individual standouts, lifetime bests, with two school records broken!"

Darrell Briggs, the assistant track and field coach who works with the sprints group, was very pleased with his athletes. "As a men's sprints, jumps, and hurdles team we had a day full of PR's. The men's team is looking ready for conference in two weeks. Freshman Desmond Gist (Detroit, Mich./Trenton) led the squad with PR's in 5 events, including breaking the school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.61. Desmond is having a great start to his freshman year and is only going to keep getting better." Gist's PR placed him in 3rd in the long jump with a leap of 6.32 m.

The women's sprints team also had a great showing at Tiffin. "The women's team was led by our sprints captain, Madalynn Schifer (Bucyrus), who had PRs in both of her events, the 60-meter dash and the 200 meters," said Coach Briggs. He continued to say, "On Friday, freshman Amanda Church (Northwestern/Lancaster) became the new school record holder in the indoor pentathlon."

"We now have two weeks until the HCAC competition and we could not be more excited and ready after what we showed this weekend. We are just getting started!" - Head Coach Kaylea Jachno.

Bluffton will make the long trip to Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday, Feb. 20, and Sunday, Feb. 21, for the HCAC Indoor Championships. The women are slated to start at 1 p.m. on Saturday, while the men will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

-BEAVERS-