Meet at Indiana U starts at 3pm EST today. Will post results as they are available. Andre, Easton, Chris, and Breanna competing for Trojans today.

Women Claim AMC Outdoor Track & Field Title

RESULTS

During a three-day stretch that included countless clutch performances, the Hannibal-LaGrange University women's track & field team earned their first American Midwest Conference outdoor track & field championship this past weekend in Lebanon, IL. The ladies team score of 175 points outpaced three-time defending champion McKendree (155), William Woods (145), Park (83), and Missouri Baptist (68).

Consistency proved to be the key for the Lady Trojans as they were victorious in only four events. On day one of the meet, junior Jocelyn Bright stepped up for her last throw in the javelin in third place. However, Jocelyn unleashed a toss of 32.86m (107'10"), a nearly ten foot personal best,  to claim victory in the event.  Mandi Riddle capped off a terrific freshman year by taking the gold in both the 100m Hurdles (17.45) and 400m Hurdles (1:08.16). Senior Cara Grinde capped off her collegiate career by claiming victory in the pole vault, with a top vault of 3.20m (10'6').

In all, the Lady Trojans came through with 12 All-Conference performances. One of the highlights of the meet was the emergence of sophomore Holland McCoy, who scored points in six different events. Holland's effort included a runner-up finish in the high jump, where her leap of 1.65m (5'5") set a new school record and qualified her for the NAIA Outdoor National Championships. Holland finished 3rd in the 400m Hurdles, 3rd in the pole vault, 4th in the 100m Hurdles, 6th in the triple jump, and 4th on a record-setting 4x400m relay team. Freshman Breanna Newton continued her impressive debut by taking runner-up finishes in both the 800m (2:18.30) and 1500m (4:45.21) events. Both marks leave Breanna just shy of NAIA qualifying standards and she will have two more attempts to qualify before the end of the regular season.

Perhaps the most gutsy effort came from junior Jasman Edmond. Suffering an upper leg injury, and unsure of whether or not she would be able to compete at all in the championships, Jasman pressed on taking second place in the 100m dash in a school-record time of 12.62. She returned the following day to lead off the third-place finishing 4x100m relay team before ending her heroic effort by placing 5th in the 200m dash (26.93). In the 400m dash, freshman Sarah Wilson became the first HLG sprinter to break one minute in the open event, earning the silver with a time of 59.87. Sarah placed seventh in the 200m dash and competed on both the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams.

Nicole Griesbaum came through with big efforts in the long distance events, placing third in the 10,000m race (42:02.96) to earn All-Conference honors. Nicole followed up that effort with a fifth place finish in the 5000m run (20:30.28). Senior Carissa Eichmeyer placed second in the 5000m Race Walk (32:46.64) while teammate Chelsea Holmstrom placed third (40:36.17). Brittni Klundt fought through illness to finish 5th in the high jump, with a season best mark of 1.55m (5'1"). Freshman Molley Patrick took home All-Conference honors by way of her third-place effort in the discus (32.14m) while also placing 6th in the javelin (24.58m). Fellow freshman Cailey Wilkinson placed second in the pole vault (3.05m) to earn All-Conference status while also placing 3rd in the 100m Hurdles and 4th in the 400m Hurdles. Abbie Herrold placed 4th in the women's hammer throw (31.32m) while teammate Alera Gill-Binder took 6th place in the shot put (10.42m).

In all, the Lady Trojans earned 12 All-Conference awards and broke 6 school records. In addition, Head Coach Jason Lewkowicz was named the 2011 AMC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year.

An injury plagued men's team did not have the numbers to compete for a conference crown but that did not prevent them from putting forth a gutsy effort, highlighted by three event champions and seven All-Conference honors. The team finished 4th in the team standings, scoring a total of 93 points.

Junior Andre Townsend battled through a lingering back injury to win the 110m Hurdles. His time of 14.65 seconds hit the automatic qualifying standard for the 2011 Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Andre would return later in the meet to place third in the 200m dash with a time of 22.65. Sophomore John Anderson defended his title in the javelin, braking his own school and conference record in the event with his toss of 47.55m (156'0"). John also earned All-Conference honors  with his runner-up finish in the 400m Hurdles (56.54), while placing third in the 110m Hurdles (16.25) and leading off a school record breaking 4x400m relay team. Freshman Easton Padden earned his first outdoor track & field title in the pole vault with a best mark of 4.27m (14'0").

Junior Philiph Tonui helped the men's 4x800m relay team break the school record in the event with their third place finish (8:10.29) and returned a short while later to win the 10,000m run in a time of 33.17.39. Sophomore Zach Lewis wrapped up a solid season with a 5th place showing in the 800m race with a time of 1:58.10, while also competing on the 4x800m relay squad. Junior Chris Smith earned the silver in the high jump with a top leap of 1.96m (6'5") and just missed clearing 2.01m, a mark that would qualify him for the national meet. Junior Michael Clemons took home a 4th place finish in the triple jump with a best leap of 12.56m (41'2.5").

As of the conclusion of this meet, four HLG track & field athletes have qualified for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National championships, which will take place May 26-28 in Marion, IN. Andre Townsend (110m Hurdles & 400m Hurdles), Philiph Tonui (10,000m & Marathon), Easton Padden (Pole Vault), and Holland McCoy (High Jump) have punched their ticket to nationals and teammates Breanna Newton (800 & 1500),  Chris Smith (high jump), and John Anderson (400m Hurdles) will travel to Bloomington, IN this Friday to compete in the Bill Hayes Invitational in hopes of also qualifying for the national meet. In addition, Nicole Griesbaum will be competing in a half marathon in Quincy, IL on May 14 in hopes of qualifying for the marathon at the national meet.

AMC Event Champions
Women
Mandi Riddle - 110m Hurdles & 400m Hurdles
Jocelyn Bright - Javelin
Cara Grinde - Pole Vault
Men
Andre Townsend - 110m Hurdles
Philiph Tonui - 10,000m
John Anderson - Javelin

All-Conference Honors
Women 
Jasman Edmond - 100m
Mandi Ridle - 100m Hurdles; 400m Hurdles
Sarah Wilson - 400m
Breanna Newton - 800m; 1500m
Nicole Griesbaum - 10,000m
Holland McCoy - High Jump
Cara Grinde - Pole Vault
Cailey Wilkinson - Pole Vault
Molley Patrick - Discus
Jocelyn Bright - Javelin
Men
Andre Townsend - 110m Hurdles; 200m
John Anderson - 400m Hurdles; Javelin
Philiph Tonui - 10,000m
Chris Smith - High Jump
Easton Padden - Pole Vault

New School Records
Women
Jasman Edmond: 100m (12.62)
Sarah Wilson: 400m (59.87)
Breanna Newton: 800m (2:18.30) & 1500m (4:45.21)
Holland McCoy: High Jump (1.65m - 5'5")
Sarah Wilson, Holland McCoy, Mandi Riddle, Breanna Newton: 4x400m (4:07.15)
Men
Andre Townsend: 110m Hurdles (14.65) & 200m (22.65)
Zach Lewis: 800m  (1:58.10)
Chris Smith: High Jump (1.65m - 6'5")
John Anderson: Javelin (47.55m - 156'0")
John Anderson, Zach Lewis, Jordan Creech, Brett Jones: 4x400m (3:31.14)
Zach Lewis, Brett Jones, Philiph Tonui, Edward Gregg: 4x800m (8:10.29)

Trojans Compete at SIU-Edwardsville

RESULTS

A small group of HLG athletes traveled to Edwardsville, IL on Saturday to compete in the SIU-Edwardsville Twilight Open. After rain delayed the start of the meet by nearly an hour, the Trojans took to the track and came through with some great results.

Breanna Newton ran a tremendous race in the 1500m, placing 2nd in a school record time of 4:46.17, a 5 second improvement over the previous record the she already owned. Breanna returned later in the meet to place 7th in the 800m with a time of 2:27.27. Sarah Wilson established a new school record in the 400m dash, finishing in 9th place in a time of 1:00.75. Mandi Riddle (1:09.50) placed second in the 400m Hurdles with teammate Holland McCoy (1:11.45) finishing right behind her in third place. In the pole vault, Cailey Wilkinson and Cara Grinde tied for the top spot, with both clearing the bar at 3.12m. Jocelyn Bright battled slick conditions to place 4th in the javelin (27.52m).

On the men's side, Zach Lewis set a new school record in the 800m, completing the race in 1:59.65. Edward Gregg set a new personal best in the 1500m run, finishing the race in a time of 4:23.75. John Anderson raced to a 4th place finish in the 400m Hurdles with a time of 57.13 while teammate Jordan Creech placed 7th (1:00.58). Anderson added to his day with a 3rd place showing in the javelin. His toss of 47.39 matched his personal best and school record performance. Easton Padden placed 4th in the pole vault (4.27m) while Brett Jones finished 6th in a personal best vault of 3.96m. Bernardo Massuchin was only able to take one attempt in the long jump due to sustaining an injury. However, that first leap of 6.12m was good enough to place 5th in the event.

The team will now prepare for the upcoming American Midwest Conference outdoor track & field championships. The throwing events will take place in Thursday, April 28 at William Woods University in Fulton, MO while the remainder of the meet will take place April 29-30 on the campus of McKendree University in Lebanon, IL. The pole vault will kick off the competition on Friday at 3pm, while Saturday's events will begin with the 5,000m Racewalk at 9:30am.

Women Capture Team Title at IC Mid-Week Invite

The Hannibal-LaGrange University track & field team mixed things up a bit this past week as they traveled to Jacksonville, IL for a midweek meet at Illinois College this past Wednesday. The Trojans were met with chilly (but rain free) conditions but that did not prevent the team from performing very well, highlighted by the women's team taking home top honors over the likes of McKendree, Principia, Maryville, and the host school. The injury battered men's squad performed well too, placing third in the team standings.

THE WOMEN
The Lady Trojans were solid in all aspects of the competition, taking home a total of 8 event titles. Jasman Edmond took home the 100m dash crown (12.99) with teammate Sarah Wilson placing third in her debut in the event. Wilson followed that performance with a victory in the 200m dash (27.14) while Breanna Newton placed 3rd in a time of 28.24. Christina Carter set a new personal best in the 800m race and came through victorious with her time of 2:36.71. In the 5,000m, Nicole Griesbaum finished in second place and shattered the school record with her time of 19.33.75. Sarah Erickson placed 4th (20:38) with teammate Amber Zinkula finishing 5th (21:25).

In the field events, Brittni Klundt and Holland McCoy tied for first place in the high jump (1.50m), while pole vaulters Cara Grinde, Holland McCoy, and Cailey Wilkinson completed a 1-2-3 sweep in the pole vault. Molley Patrick took home a gold in the discus with her toss of 32.32m. Jocelyn Bright also took home top prize, with her gold coming in the javelin (29.90m). For the third meet in a row, Abbie Herrold set a new school record in the hammer throw (33.92m), while adding a 3rd place finish in the discus and 4th place showing in the shot put. Alera Gill-Binder set a new personal best in the shot put (10.05m) and finished 3rd in the event.

THE MEN
Most of the men's team competed in events outside of what they normally do, but the group still saw some good results. John Anderson took home top honors in the 400m Hurdles, finishing the grueling race in 58.21.
Philiph Tonui took a break from his marathon training to place third in the 800m with a time of 2:02.18. Jason Cline set a new personal best in the 5K, winning the silver with his time of 17:15.75.

In the field events, Bernardo Massuchin placed 2nd in the triple jump (12.73m) following a 5th place showing in the long jump (6.38m). Mike Clemons finished right behind Massuchin in both events, placing 3rd in the triple jump (12.69m), and setting a new personal best in the long jump with his 6th place leap of 6.19m. Easton Padden placed 2nd in the pole vault (4.57m), falling only to assistant coach Jason Scott who cleared 4.87m. Branden Ramos placed 3rd in the javelin, taking home the bronze with his toss of 40.11m. Chris Smith placed 4th in the high jump, clearing the bar at 1.87m.

Things Heat Up for Trojans at CMU

RESULTS

The Hannibal-LaGrange University track & field team made a return visit to Central Methodist University for the Asics Invitational this past weekend. The Trojans battled an untimely heat wave to post some of their top times of the season so far.

On the men's side, sophomore Bernardo Massuchin led the way with a pair of 6th place finishes in the long jump (6.68m - 21'11") and triple jump (12.95m - 42'6"). Bernardo's effort in the triple jump established a new school record in the event, the first of four new records set on the day. Easton Padden took home the silver in the men's pole vault, clearing the bar at 4.45m (14'7.25) while teammate Brett Jones set a new personal best, placing 8th with a mark of 3.85m (12'7.5"). Chris Smith had his second straight solid performance in the high jump, placing 9th with a mark of 1.86m (6'1.25").

On the track, the men got a solid performance from sophomore John Anderson, who set a new personal best in the 400m hurdles with a finishing time of 56.75 seconds. That time gave John a 10-place finish in the event and stands as the number two time in the HLG record book. In the 800m race, sophomore Zach Lewis lowered his own school record time, placing 12th with a time of 2:01.02.

The women's team had a number of strong showings, highlighted by the record setting performance of Mandi Riddle, as the freshman placed 10th in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:07.90. Mandi's effort placed her at the top of the school record list for the event. Breanna Newton had another strong showing in the 1500m race, placing sixth with a time of 4:52.75. Sprinter Jasman Edmond put together a pair of good races, placing 13th and 15th, respectively, in the 100m (12.86) and 200m (26.68) dash events.

In the field events, senior Cara Grinde was the runner-up in the pole vault, clearing the bar at 3.20m (10'6"). High jumpers Brittni Klundt and Holland McCoy took home top-10 finishes as the pair tied for 9th in the event, clearing 1.50m (4'11").

The team will enjoy a rare weekend off before making a mid-week trip to Illinois College on Tuesday, April 19.

Trojans Show Improvement at WashU Invite

Andre Towsend competing in the 400m Hurdles

The Hannibal-LaGrange University track & field team spent this past Friday and Saturday at Washington University in St. Louis. At a meet that included over 1,500 athletes from over 20 teams, the Trojans performed very well, once again rewriting the record books, while turning in two more NAIA national qualifying performances.

Tyler Malone setting new personal best in 800m

MEN
On Friday night under the lights, junior Philiph Tonui competed in the 10,000m race. Running in a separate heat that included the top-18 competitors, Philiph ran to a 5th place finish. His time of 32:00.03 set a qualifying standard for the NAIA Outdoor National Championships. However, Philiph will continue to train to compete in the marathon at the national meet. On Saturday, the Trojans got some great results from the field events. Sophomore Bernardo Massuchin took home the silver in the long jump, turning in a best mark of 6.62m. Newcomer Chris Smith traded in his basketball shoes for some high jump spikes and had a fantastic debut, taking 5th in a highly competitive high jump event. In addition, his leap of 1.90m (6'2.75") set a new school record. In the men's pole vault, sophomore Easton Padden took home a third place finish with a vault of 4.40m (14'5.5"). On the track, Andre Townsend made his season debut in the 400m Hurdles and, despite nursing an injured back that has limited his training, delivered a 4th place finish in the event with a NAIA-qualifying time of 54.56. In the same event, sophomore John Anderson placed 9th with a time of 58.62. In the 800m race, sophomore Zach Lewis ran a strong race, cutting two seconds off of last week's efforts on his way to a time of 2:01.71. Freshman Tyler Malone shaved three seconds off his time, finishing in 2:03.04.

Breanna Newton - New School Record-1500m

WOMEN
The Lady Trojans were led by the outstanding effort of sophomore Holland McCoy, who finished the two-day meet with three top-10 finishes. After placing 4th in the pole vault with a personal best mark of 3.05m (10'0"), she returned on Saturday to tie her personal best in the high jump, with a 7th place effort of 1.50m (4'11"). Holland concluded the meet by finishing 9th in the 400m hurdles, with a time of 1:11.79. Breanna Newton also ran very well for HLG, as the freshman made her debut in the 1500m race memorable, finishing in sixth place with a time of 4:51.77. After that school record setting performance, Breanna came back and finished 12th in the 800m race (2:24.02). Junior Jasman Edmond turned in solid efforts in the 100m (12.84-13th) and 200m (26.81-16th) events, while teammate Sarah Wilson set a new school record in the 400m with her 8th place time of 1:00.92. Sarah came back in the 200m to finish in 17th place with a time of 26.90. Senior Carissa Eichmeyer collected HLG's lone gold of the meet, winning the 5,000m race walk with a time of 32::08.00. Later on Friday night, freshman Nicole Griesbaum set a new school record in the 10,000m run, placing 10th with a time of 41:53.92. Mandi Riddle improved her time in the 400m hurdles, placing 8th overall with a time of 1:08.97. The ladies got two more top-10 efforts in the field events, with Cara Grinde earning the silver in the pole vault (3.20m-10'6") and sophomore Brittni Klundt placing 9th in the high jump (1.50m-4'11"). Freshman Molley Patrick made her track & field debut in the discus and placed 12th with a toss of 32.62m (107'0"). Sophomore Abbie Herrold made her season debut in the hammer throw and turned in a school record effort, placing 19th overall with her throw of 31.00m (101'8").

Sarah Wilson on her way to record setting mark in 400m

Brett Jones clearing the bar in the pole vault

The team will travel back to Fayette, MO to compete in the CMU Asics Invite on Saturday while Nicole Griesbaum, Sarah Erickson, Jason Cline, and Nathan Uding will make the trip to Jackson, TN to compete in the Andrew Jackson Memorial Half-Marathon, with hopes of hitting a qualifying time for the marathon at the NAIA National Championships in May.

Trojans Have Productive Showing at Baker Relays

 Easton Padden clears 15'5" in the pole vault (photo:Karen Peck)

The Hannibal-LaGrange University track & field team made the trek to Baldwin City, Kansas to compete in the 70th Annual Baker Relays this past Friday. Although the Trojans were again faced with chilly weather conditions, the team came out and competed very well.

Cara Grinde cleared 3.20m to claim victory in the pole vault (photo:Karen Peck)

The meet was highlighted by the performance of freshman pole vaulter Easton Padden, whose victorious mark of 4.70m (15'5") in the pole vault qualified him for the 2011 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, which take place at the end of May in Marion, Indiana. The Montana native was at home in the cold weather and had no problem clearing the mark needed to qualify. Fellow pole vaulter Cara Grinde was also victorious in the event on the women's side, clearing 3.20m (10'6"). In other field event action, Brittni Klundt returned to action in the high jump and came home with a solid 4th-place finish (1.49m) while Mandi Riddle finished 5th in the triple jump (9.99m) in her outdoor collegiate debut in the event. Jordan Creech led the men in the javelin, setting a new personal best with his toss of 43.48m, which was good for 8th place in the highly competitive event.Mike Clemons had a fourth place effort in the triple jump (12.04m) while teammate Bernardo Massuchin placed 6th in the long jump (6.46m).

Mandi Riddle racing to victory in the 400m Hurdles (photo:Karen Peck)

On the track, the women were led by Mandi Riddle, who was victorious in the 400m Hurdles, finishing in a time of 1:09.78. Breanna Newton competed in the 800m run and was the event runner-up with her time of 2:24.23. In the sprints, Sarah Wilson gave a strong effort in the 200m, finishing in 4th place (27.06) while teammate Jasman Edmond took 5th in the 100m dash (12.92). In the women's 5K, Nicole Griesbaum set a new school record in her debut in the event outdoors, placing 5th with a time of 20:09.27. Teammate Sarah Erickson, placed 8th in a personal best time of 20:57.10. The women's 4x400m relay team of Sarah Wilson, Holland McCoy, Mandi Riddle, and Breanna Newton broke the school record in that event by way of their 3rd place finish (4:20.27).

Jasman Edmond competing in the 100m dash (photo:Karen Peck)

The men were led on the track by John Anderson, as the sophomore from Hannibal finished as the runner up in the 400m hurdles. His time of 57.67 was just shy of his personal best and school record mark set last year. Andre Townsend made his outdoor debut as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury, but that did not prevent him from cruising to a 3rd place finish in the 400m dash, setting a new school record with his time of 49.86. In the 800m, Zach Lewis ran a strong race and held on for a 6th place finish in the event. His time of 2:03.51 set a new school record in the event. Senior Jason Cline competed in the 5K and set a new personal best with his 9th place finish (17:17.71).

Zach Lewis setting a new school record in the 800m

COACH COMMENTS: I was pleased with how the team battled through the cold and competed very well. We had another tough week of practice and have some soreness and fatigue that we are working through but I believe that this team will continue to show marked improvement each week and hopefully we can catch some spring weather soon!

With his NAIA qualifying performance, Easton Padden became the second HLG Trojan to qualify for the NAIA Outdoor national meet. Easton and the rest of the team will be back in action this Friday and Saturday at the Washington University Invitational in St. Louis, MO.

Trojans Open Outdoor Season at CMU

RESULTS

The Hannibal-LaGrange University track & field team opened up the outdoor portion of their season this past Saturday, traveling to Fayette, MO to compete in the Central Methodist Open. While the meet began under sunny skies, it soon gave way to a cold and steady rain that persisted for most of the meet. However, that did not keep the Trojans from posting several solid performances, including two event championships and four new school records.

WOMEN
The Lady Trojans were led by the strong showings of senior Cara Grinde and freshman Breanna Newton. Cara kicked off the outdoor season in style by winning the pole vault with a mark of 3.35m (10'11.75"). Later on in the day Breanna battled a cold and steady rain to place second in the 800m. Her time of 2:22.18 set a new school record in the event, which was her first collegiate outdoor meet.

On the track, junior Jasman Edmond placed 10th in the 100m dash with a time of 13.17, while freshman Sarah Wilson placed 9th in the 200m with a time of 27.47. Mandi Riddle made her debut in the 400m hurdles and placed 8th overall with a time of 1:11.67.

MEN
The men's team saw a number of school records fall in the field events. In the men's pole vault, freshman Easton Padden took home the top place with a mark of 4.40m (14'5.25"). After missing the end of the indoor season due to injury, sophomore Bernardo Massuchin returned to form in the long jump, finishing in a tie for 3rd place with a leap of 6.70m (21'11.75"). sophomore Micheal Clemons had a tremendous day a well, placing 3rd in the triple jump with a mark of 12.74m (41'9.75"). All three of those efforts set new school records in the respective events. In the javelin, defending AMC champion John Anderson battled the rain and slippery footing to finish 6th with a toss of 42.43m (139'2"), with teammate Branden Ramos finishing in a tie for 8th place in his debut in the event with a throw of 41.37m (135'9").

On the track, the men got a strong effort from junior Philiph Tonui, who placed 4th in the 5,000m with a time of 15:39.56. Freshman Cole Peck returned from an injury that ended his indoor season prematurely and raced to a 9th place finish in the 200m dash (23.59). John Anderson found success on the track as well, as the sophomore coupled his top-10 finish in the javelin with a 6th place effort in the 400m hurdles (58.14).

Coach Comments: It was great to finally get outdoors and, despite the rain, I thought we had some strong efforts. I was real pleased with several of our field event athletes, especially Mike Clemons, who gave us a glimpse of the potential he has. Easton and Cara battled tough conditions to win the pole vault and I liked the toughness I saw out of each of them.We will build off of this experience and hopefully it will serve as a springboard for rapid improvement over the coming weeks.We are dealing with a load of injuries, so getting everyone healthy for the home stretch is key. With so many young runners, I expect to see a lot of week-to-week improvement so that should be exciting.

The Trojans will travel to Baldwin City, KS this Saturday to compete in the 70th running of the Baker Relays, hosted by Baker University.

Andre's Race

Here is a link to the finals of the 60m Hurdles at the NAIA Indoor National Championships. Andre is in Lane 2 on the outside.We're working on getting a video directly on the blog. Thanks to Mrs. Padden for capturing the action!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=197791196912065

Trojans Compete at NAIA Indoor Nationals

Five members of the Hannibal-LaGrange track & field team traveled to Geneva, Ohio to compete in the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, which were held March at the GaREAT Complex near Lake Erie.In what has been a historic start to the track & field season, the group made sure to continue that trend as the indoor season came to a close.

Andre Townsend - 2011 NAIA Indoor track & Field All-American!

(photo:Carissa Eichmeyer)

Junior Andre Townsend (Chicago, IL) became HLG's first track & field All-American as he was the runner-up in the 60m Hurdles. Andre's time of 7.98 in the finals was just 0.02 seconds behind the winner, Edward Stewart of Central Methodist. After a solid run in the prelims, Andre slipped out of the blocks in the semifinals and, after nearly falling just before the first hurdle, he managed to recover a qualify for the finals with the 7th best time. With only eight athletes qualifying for the final, Andre was assigned to lane 1, which was not ideal considering the top runners get the middle lanes. However, Andre showed up to the track on Saturday  determined to not let that hold him back and ran a tremendous race in the finals. In addition to Andre being recognized as the AMC's only All-American, his eight points scored in the 60m hurdles allowed HLG to finish in a tie for 24th place out of 55 scoring teams in the championship meet.

Andre showing off his hard-earned hardware!

(photo:Carissa Eichmeyer)

Junior Philiph Tonui (Kericho, Kenya) competed in the 5,000m run on Thursday. After battling illnes for much of the past two weeks, we knew that he wasn't going to be at 100%. However, Philiph ran a brave race and ended up placing 20th overall with a time of 15:11.40. This time was a personal best for Philiph and broke his own school record in the event. Philiph's time was also a 24 second improvement over his 5K race at last year's Indoor national meet.

Freshman Easton Padden (Laurel, MT) competed in the pole vault. After clearing the opening height of 4.50m (14'9"), he had three strong attempts at the next height, especially his first, where he was a foot over the bar but hit it on the way down. Unfortunately Easton was not able to clear the second height but still managed to place 13th in the event.

Freshman Breanna Newton (Rochelle, IL) competed in the 1,000m run. Last month at Cedarville, Breanna ran the same race, qualifying with an automatic time in her debut in the event. Much like Philiph, Breanna spent most of nationals week dealing with sickness but she went out and gave a gritty performance. Knowing that she had to be in the top two of her preliminary heat to qualify, Breanna went out and was aggressive and the race's outset. With one lap to go (300m), she found herself side by side with eventual champion Jessica Smith of Simon Fraser. Unfortunately she was not able to hold that position and ended up placing 7th in her heat. Breanna's final time was 3:02.49, which was good for 15th place in her inaugural track national meet.

Senior Carissa Eichmeyer (Marthasville, MO) competed in the 3,000m race walk and came through with a 12th place finish in a time of 18:44.26. After getting a late  start to the indoor season due to an injury, it was a great accomplishment for Carissa to qualify once again for the national meet and, with her just now starting to get back into form, she is looking forward to a strong showing during the outdoor season.

 HLG Track & Field team at NAIA Indoor Nationals

(photo:Carissa Eichmeyer)

After enjoying Spring Break, the HLG Track & Field team will head outdoors for the second half of their season. With this move brings renewed hopes and the pursuit of an AMC championship and additional qualifiers for the NAIA Outdoor championships in May. The team will compete in their first outdoor meet on March 19 at Central Methodist University in Fayette, MO.