Women 2nd, Men 4th at AMC Meet

RESULTS

The Hannibal-LaGrange University track & field team traveled to Columbia, MO this past Friday to compete in the Missouri Collegiate Challenge, a meet that served as the American Midwest Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Trojans put forth a very strong effort with the women finishing as the conference runner-up while the men, competing without two of their top athletes due to injury, placed 4th, just 20 points shy of second place.


Sarah Wilson (400m) & Mandi Riddle (600y)-2011 AMC Champions

WOMEN

The Lady Trojans scored a total of 186 points to place second behind McKendree. The young squad relied on a strong group of freshmen to lead the way, highlighted by the efforts of Breanna Newton. The newcomer from Rochelle, IL was named the AMC Female Track Athlete of the Meet after winning the 800m and mile races, while also anchoring the winning Distance Medley Relay squad. Sarah Wilson kept the momentum going with a victory in the 400m, which was followed by a second-place finish in the 200m. Sarah also contributed to the DMR victory to wrap up an excellent day. Also on the winning DMR squad, Mandi Riddle was also victorious in the 600 yard dash while placing second in the 1000m. Mandi wrapped up the day by placing 4th in the triple jump.

Cailey Wilkinson overcame an off-day in the pole vault by winning the 60m hurdles while newcomer Nicole Griesbaum continued to make an impact for the Lady Trojans, winning the 3,000m race after placing second in the 5,000m earlier in the day. Jasman Edmond, the final piece of the winning DMR squad, showed upperclassman leadership by placing 2nd in the 400m race and 4th in the 60m dash. Competing at the Missouri All-Comers meet the following day, senior Carissa Eichmeyer was victorious in the 3,000m Race walk, making her the first AMC champion in that event.

In the field events, the Trojans were led by Cara Grinde, as the senior repeated as conference champion in the pole vault. Sophomore Abbie Herrold just missed being a conference champ herself, placing second in the wight throw, just 0.03m shy of the winning toss.

In addition to Breanna's award, the Lady Trojans came through with a total of nine event victories, with 10 athletes earning All-Conference accolades.

COACH COMMENTS: I was so proud of the effort the women put forth today. They came in with the goal of winning a team championship and, while we fell just short of that goal, they have an awful lot to be proud of. We got solid contributions from everyone and had some great results to show for it. I hope that this effort gives the team confidence going forth to know that they can accomplish a lot as a team if they keep working hard. With the outdoor season looming, we'll be able to keep tracking their progress.

Ethan Huff & Andre Townsend compete in 400m dash

MEN
The men's team finished 4th with 100 points, just 10 shy of third place Missouri Baptist, and 20 points shy of runner-up William Woods. The Trojans suffered two big setbacks earlier in the week as injuries prevented standouts Bernardo Massuchin and Cole Peck from competing in the meet. However, the men did compete represented HLG very well and kept the team in the thick of things throughout the meet.

Junior Andre Townsend wrapped up a stellar indoor regular season by earning the AMC Male Track Athlete of the Meet award after placing first in the 60m hurdles, 200m, and 400m. Junior Philiph Tonui battled sickness throughout the meet but was able to place second in the 1000m and third in the mile while anchoring the second-place Distance Medley Relay team in his final tune-up before the national meet. Tyler Malone, Edward Gregg, and Brett Jones completed the DMR squad that placed second, while Gregg teamed up with Zach Lewis, Ryan Bontz, and Nathan Uding to place second in the 4x800m relay.

In other racing action, Tyler Malone placed 4th in the 800m and 5th in the mile while John Anderson placed 3rd in the 60m hurdles and 5th in the 400m. Jason Cline came through with a 5th-place effort in the 3,000m and Edward Gregg placed 6th in the 600 yard dash.

In the field events, Easton Padden was victorious in the pole vault, while Alex Earls placed 7th in the shot put. Mike Clemons placed 7th in the long jump and set a new school record with his 8th place finish in a tough triple jump competition.

In addition to Andre's honor, the Trojans were victorious in four events with 10 individuals earning All-Conference recognition.

COACH COMMENTS: The men really came out and gave a great effort today. A lot of the guys were battling illness but persevered and came through with a lot of personal bests. Andre and Philiph were both solid and carried the team with a few key guys out. I liked the effort I saw from several of our younger guys, Zach Lewis and Ethan Huff, in particular, and they will be key as we continue to progress during the outdoor season. Overall, it was a great improvement from this time last year and the men's team has a lot to look forward to from here on out.

Five members of the track & field team now set their sights on the 2011 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, which take place March 3-5 in Geneva, Ohio. Andre Townsend (60m Hurdles), Philiph Tonui (5,000m), Easton Padden (Pole Vault), Breanna Newton (1,000m), and Carissa Eichmeyer (3,000m Race Walk) will represent the Trojans at the national meet. Stay tuned to the runHLG blog for updates from the national meet.

Newton, Townsend, & Padden Named AMC Athletes of the Week

A trio of HLG Trojan track & field athletes were honored by the American Midwest Conference for their efforts at last weekend's Cedarville Invitational

Breanna won the AMC Women's Track Athlete of the Week award after placing first in the 1000m at Cedarville with a time of 3:01.40. That time also automatically qualified her for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships next moth.

Andre was honored with the AMC Men's Track Athlete of the Week after winning the 55 meter hurdles in a time of 7.36, which places him #1 in the NAIA for the event.

Easton was named the AMC Men's Field Athlete of the Week after placing second overall (first collegiate athlete) in the pole vault. His mark of 4.70m (15'5") qualified him for the indoor national meet.

This tremendous trio, along with their teammates, will next compete in the Missouri Collegiate Challenge in Columbia, MO on Friday, February 18. This meet also serves as the 2011 American Midwest Conference Indoor Track & Field championship meet.

More Trojans Qualify For Nationals at Cedarville

MEN'S RESULTS

WOMEN'S RESULTS

A group of 12 members of the Hannibal-LaGrange University track & field team made the long trek to Ohio this past weekend to compete in the Cedarville University Invitational. This group carried high hopes for great performances with them and they did not disappoint. Despite competing with only six women and six men, both teams came through with top-5 team finishes on the day, and that was just the beginning of the accolades.

The women's team placed 5th out of 14 teams and saw their first two team members punch a ticket to the NAIA Indoor Track & Field national championships during the meet. Running the 1,000m race for the first time, freshman standout Breanna Newton gave a tremendous effort, making a last-lap surge to win the race with a time of 3:01.40. That mark, in addition to smashing the school record in the event, met the automatic qualifying standard for nationals next month. Senior Carissa Eichmeyer took to the track soon after and followed suit with a national qualifying performance of her own. Carissa finished in eighth place in the talent-stocked race and her time of 18:23.46 was more than enough to claim a return trip to indoor nationals.

The women nearly added a third national qualifier in senior pole vaulter Cara Grinde, who finished 2nd in the event with a mark of 3.20m (10'6"). Cara elected to bypass an attempt at 11'0" and, due to the fact that they standards were increasing six inches at a time, she was unable to jump at the qualifying standard of 11'3". Instead, she took three strong attempts at 11'6", just barely missing on her final vault. Teammate Cailey Wilkinson had a strong effort as well, placing 5th with a mark of 3.05m (10'0").

A pair of freshmen middle distance runners gave a pair of strong performances for the women's team. Mandi Riddle placed 3rd in the 1,000m race (3:19.91) after coming through with a 5th place finish earlier in the 600m dash (1:47.37). Sarah Wilson took 3rd in the 600m dash (1:45.37) and wrapped up her day with a 9th place finish (27.29) in the 200m dash.

The men's team also took home a 5th place finish out of the 15 schools competing. Junior Andre Townsend got the meet started with an outstanding performance in the 55m hurdles. After qualifying first in the preliminary round (7.58), Andre came back to post a winning time of 7.36 in the finals. That effort broke both the meet and Cedarville Fieldhouse records, in addition to being a new school record. Andre's performance also vaulted him into the top position in the NAIA in the event heading into the last week of the regular season. Also in the 55m Hurdles, Assistant Coach Jason Scott competed in the event for the first time in 2011 and placed 3rd with a time of 7.67.

Having already qualified for nationals in the 5K, junior Philiph Tonui took a break from long distance races to work on his speed, and he found success, placing 4th in the mile with a time of 4:23.79. Philiph's effort was only 0.59 seconds off of the national qualifying standard in the event. This was his first time competing in the open mile in 2011, and he will attempt to add the qualifying mark to the one he already has in the 5K at the AMC meet next Friday.

The Trojans got a pair of strong efforts in the field events. Freshman Easton Padden cleared 4.70m (15'5") in the pole vault and that effort was good enough to hit the qualifying standard for the indoor national meet, as well as placing 2nd overall. His effort also broke his own school record set earlier in the season. Coach Scott also competed in the pole vault and won the event at his alma mater with a mark of 5.25m (17'2.275") and was just one inch off of the meet and fieldhouse records that he already owns from his time at Cedarville. Freshman Bernardo Massuchin had another strong showing in the long jump, placing 4th with a leap of 6.62m (21'8.75").

In the 600m dash, Freshman Cole Peck came through with a 5th place effort in a time of1:27.55, a new school record. Teammate Stephen McTeer continued to show he was progressing from a broken collarbone suffered at the end of the fall semester and placed 9th in the same event with a time of 1:29.22. In the 200m dash, the Trojans picked up two more top-10 finishes with Bernardo Massuchin placing 7th (23.66) and Cole Peck 8th (23.77) in the event.

COACH COMMENTS: We decided to take this group all the way to Ohio because they wanted to compete against strong competition and hit qualifying standards for the indoor national meet. The folks we brought were all focused and put forth one of the strongest team efforts ever at HLG. All twelve of the athletes scored points for the team and showed great determination and heart in doing so. It's easy to point out the accomplishments of the three who qualified for nationals but they all deserve a lot of credit for enduring a long trip and then coming out and competing like champions. Although our athletic accomplishments will always fall second to our desire to honor Christ with our efforts on the track, it is great to be around a group of kids who are committed to doing both with their full heart.

After the Cedarville meet, the team has now qualified five individuals for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, which will be held next month in Geneva, Ohio. The team will now set their sites on this coming Friday, where they will travel to Columbia, Mo to compete in the University of Missouri Collegiate Challenge. This meet will also serve as the American Midwest Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship Meet and the Trojans will compete against McKendree, Missouri Baptist, and William Woods for the AMC crown. The meet is scheduled to begin at 2pm on Friday at Hearnes Fieldhouse, on the campus of the University of Missouri.

NAIA Indoor T & F National Qualifiers
Breanna Newton - 1,000m
Carissa Eichmeyer - 3,000m Race Walk
Andre Townsend - 60m Hurdles
Philiph Tonui - 5,000m
Easton Padden - Pole Vault

Trojans Find Success at Illinois College

RESULTS

The Hannibal- LaGrange track & field team made a return trip to Illinois College to compete in the Jim Green Invitational. Both the men and women fared well in the 12-team meet, with numerous victories, more new school records, and a national qualifier.

WOMEN
The women's team had another strong showing and got things going with back-to-back event wins. Senior Carissa Eichmeyer made her 2011 track debut, coming back from a hamstring injury to be the first women across the line in the 3K race walk. Her time of 19:00.96 is just off the national qualifying mark for the event. That effort was followed by the 5K, where Nicole Griesbaum recorded her first career victory, winning with a time of 20:08.29. Nicole's effort broke the school record she set last week in her debut in the event. Teammates Sarah Erickson (21:11.81) and Amber Zinkula (21:43.57) placed 3rd and 4th, respectively in the race.

Pole Vaulter Cara Grinde was victorious in the pole vault (3.20m) and just barely missed the national qualifying mark of 3.43m. Abbie Herrold placed 13th in a competitive weight throw competition and her toss of 11.80m set a new school record in the event. Abbie added a 9th place effort in the shot put (9.61m) to round out a solid day. In other field event action, Brittni Klundt finished 3rd in the high jump (1.47m) while Jocelyn Bright placed 7th in the triple jump (9.75m).

The ladies stacked up two relay teams and the results were solid. The Sprint Medley Relay team of Amanda Miller, Casey Pilliard, Christina Carter, and Sarah Erickson were victorious, crossing the finish line with a winning time of 4:50.06, a new school record. Not to be outdone, the Distance Medley Relay team of Mandi Riddle, Jasman Edmond, Sarah Wilson, and Breanna Newton finished second and the team's time of 13:10.97 shattered the old school record.

MEN
The men's team was led by winning efforts from junior standouts Philiph Tonui and Andre Townsend. Philiph led off the men's portion of the meet by cruising to victory in the 5K race. His time of 15:15.44 was his season-best and meets the qualifying standards for the NAIA Indoor National Championships. This marks the 5th consecutive championship meet that Philiph has qualified for during his time as a Trojan harrier. Andre made his return to the 60m hurdles where his time of 8.00 in the finals gave him the event title and kept him in line to be a factor at next month's national championships. Andre also performed well in the 200m dash, placing 3rd with a time of 22.78. He capped off his day by joining with Cole Peck, Stephen McTeer, and Bernardo Massuchin to place 2nd in the Sprint Medley Relay with a school-record time of 3:49.87.

The Trojans got strong showings in the field events as well. Easton Padden was victorious in the pole vault with a mark of 4.25m while Bernardo Massuchin placed 4th the a strong long jump field with a best mark of 6.70m. Michael Clemons placed 9th in the triple jump, setting a new school record with his leap of 11.54m.

The men's team competed in all four relays on the day and saw some great results. On top of the record-breaking performance in the Sprint Medley Relay, the 4x400m (3:40.99) and Distance Medley Relay (11:00.58) teams both had 4th place finishes while the 4x200m (1:39.74) team placed 5th.

COACH COMMENTS
I thought we had some really strong performances today. We sacrificed some individual events to focus on the relays, which was an exciting change of pace for the team. We had some good showings in those races but it was a well rounded effort across the board. It was great to see Philiph get the qualifying mark in the 5K. He once again raced without anyone pushing him so he had to push himself. It will prove to help him out later when the competition is stronger. We had several folks who are oh-so close to hitting qualifying marks and I expect to see those goals realized in the last few weeks of the season. Above all else, I can't say enough about how hard this team competes and, most importantly, how they display a God-honoring attitude that stands out everywhere we go. I am very proud of this team and I know they are going to push through to the end of the season and that the best is still to come.

Next weekend a group of Trojans will make the trip to Ames, IA to compete at the prestigious Iowa State Classic. On Saturday, Carissa Eichmeyer will travel to Marshall, MO to make a run at qualifying in the race walk as she competes at the Missouri Valley Invite.