By: Jenia Freewalt, sports information assistant
Photos by: Zach Slone
FRANKLIN, Ind. - Starting Friday, April 28, the Beavers showed up for the final competition of the season! The HCAC Championship meet was hosted by Franklin College on April 28-29. During championship weekend, the top 8 places in each event score points for their team!
On day 1 for the throwers were the shot put and discus competitions. Junior Markus Finley (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) threw a big throw of 14.07 meters in the shot put, earning 5th place overall!
Senior Emma Payne (Hicksville) went out with a bang in the discus, placing 10th overall with a toss of 31.85 meters.
In the men's discus, senior Henry Wright (Wooster) placed 7th with an amazing throw of 43.39 meters. Senior Michael Lindhorst (Lindsey/Woodmore) placed 8th overall with a season-best throw of 37.37 meters!
On day 2 of the competition were the hammer and javelin throw competitions. In the women's hammer, senior Maggie Hartzler (Rittman/Norwayne) earned a 7th place finish with a big throw of 40.73, followed closely by Payne who took 8th with a mark of 40.47 meters, and junior Amanda Scott who placed 9th with a big PR throw of 39.15 meters! Also earning a new PR was freshman Paige Smith (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) with a mark of 33.03 meters!
Lindhorst found huge success in the hammer, making the podium in 2nd place with a big PR throw of 49.24 meters! Wright also had an impressive performance, earning a new PR of 43.39 meters while placing 9th overall.
"The throwers really showed up for conference!" said Graduate Assistant Coach Stephanie Fox. "Combined, the men and women throwers scored 26 points for Bluffton! 23 of those points were scored by the men's throwers! I am incredibly proud of their performances, and I knew they'd do exceptionally well! Overall, there were six PRs and a season best for the group. The rest were incredibly close to new PRs!"
Unfortunately, this is Coach Fox's final year as a graduate assistant at Bluffton University and she will not be returning next year. She has reflected on her experience with the Beavers these past two years by saying, "It has been a great two years coaching this exceptional group of throwers and I wish them the best as they continue to grow as athletes and people." Bluffton University, and especially the track team, wishes Coach Fox the best in the future and would like to thank her for being a part of the team!
Finishing up day 1 of competition were the men's and women's 10k competitions. In the women's race, junior Jenia Freewalt (Delphos/St. John's) placed 8th overall with a time of 44.01.
Continuing into the next day for the distance athletes, sophomore Cole Kropka (New London) placed 8th in the men's steeplechase competition with a PR time of 10:22!
In the women's 1500 meters, sophomore Basil Gates (Galion) flew across the line, earning 6th place with a time of 5:18! Junior Brooke Barnes (Ashland/Crestview) earned a season best with a time of 5:52, followed by sophomore Sammie Unger (Kenton) who finished out the season with a PR time of 6:01!
In the men's 1500, freshman Jarrod Roudebush (Coshocton) earned a new PR of 4:35.
Junior Miranda Billman (Castalia/Margaretta) set a new season best in the women's 800 meters with a time of 3:08. On the men's side, senior Morgan Adams (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) finished the year with a season best time of 2:10.
Gates earned 6th place in the women's 5k Race with a PR time of 19:51! Kropka finished the men's race with a season-best time of 16:18. Sophomore Braeden Horn (Galion) had an amazing race, setting a 21-second PR finishing with a time of 16:38, followed by junior Zach Boch (Lancaster) who also earned a season best of 17:20.
Coach Gulick, who works primarily with the distance athletes, commented on the weekend by saying, "This was a fun weekend to be a part of. The main theme that we were stressing was compete and don't be afraid to take a risk. Everyone took that message to heart and left it all out there. We ended up with a ton of PRs and season best performances. I couldn't be prouder of this team.
Sophomore Olivia Rider (Celina) placed 4th in the high jump with a leap of 1.48 meters, earning a season best in the process
In the men's high jump, sophomore Joey Bonham (Vanlue) took home the silver, placing 2nd with a sparkling jump of 1.91 meters! He was followed closely by sophomore Kyle Manns (Ottoville) who placed 3rd at 1.88 meters and junior Desmond Gist (Detroit, Mich./Trenton) who took 4th with a jump of 1.85 meters.
In the long jump competition, Gist placed 2nd with a great mark of 6.55 meters! Junior Malik Waters (Lima/Perry) took 6th place (6.30m).
In the women's 400 meter Race, sophomore Kailea Greathouse-Kerr (Manchester, Ind.) had an excellent race, finishing 3rd with a quick PR time of 61.02! Sophomore Kinsey Myers (Stryker), finished in 7th place with a great PR time of 63.87!
Sophomore Russell Lough (Wintersville/Indian Creek) made the podium in the men's 400 with a season-best time of 49.84, placing 3rd overall! Sophomore Blayden McCoy earned a season best in the men's 400 meters with a quick time of 51.13 and placed 7th overall.
Finding big success in the women's 100 meters was senior Madalynn Schifer (Bucyrus), placing 5th overall with a quick PR time of 12.67! Not only that, but Schifer's performance broke the previous school record time of 12.75 for the first time in 19 years! Schifer also placed 6th in the 200 meters with a time of 26.94, earning a season best.
In the men's 110 meter hurdles, Gist took home the gold, winning the event with a time of 14.88! Sophomore Ja'Ce Nutt (Miamisburg/Valley View) placed 4th overall with a quick time of 16.60! Gist also won the men's 400 meter hurdles with a time of 56.08. Manns placed 4th in the men's 400 meter hurdles with a time of 58.70!
In the 4x100 Relay, Bluffton's women's team took 7th overall! The team was comprised of Schifer, Rider, Myers, and Greathouse-Kerr, and they finished with a time of 52.83. The men's 4x100 team, comprised of freshman Dontrayell Thomas (Madera, Cal./Edison), Lough, sophomore Jayden McConnell (Sunbury/Big Walnut), and Gist scored 5th overall, finishing with a time of 43.42.
Finally, the Bluffton women's 4x400 relay team comprised of Schifer, junior Brooke Barnes (Ashland/Crestview), Myers, and Greathouse-Kerr placed 7th with a time of 4:26.40.
The Bluffton men's 4x400 relay team took the gold for the second year in a row, placing 1st and winning by almost four seconds with a time of 3:23.68. It was comprised of Blayden McCoy (Fresno/Ridgewood), sophomore Simon Shawk (Galion), Lough and McConnell.
"The team as a whole showed up when it mattered the most and that was evident in their results. There were multiple events where we were only supposed to get a point or two and ended up with people on the podium," said Head Coach Ben Markison. "You love to see the athletes hard work pay off, especially when it's a big meet such as conference. The men finished in 3rd with 114 points, which is the most points Bluffton's men's track team has ever scored at a conference meet. On top of that, we have one school record set: Maddy not only broke the 19-year-old record but demolished it by almost a tenth which is huge."
The Bluffton University men placed 3rd overall with a total of 114 points and the women's team placed 7th with a total of 34 points.
The Beavers would like to thank their seniors, Maggie Hartzler, Emma Payne, Henry Wright, Michael Lindhorst, Madalynn Schifer, and Morgan Adams for all their hard work they have put in for the team. Once a Beaver, always a Beaver!
With their heads held high, the Beavers return to Bluffton, looking forward to next year's season!
-BEAVERS-
