By Harrison LaLone, Sports Information student assistant
University Center, Mich. - The Alma College track and field team began its indoor season on Saturday (Dec. 2) with its annual trip to Saginaw Valley State University for the SVSU Holiday Classic, featuring particpants from across all NCAA divisions. The men's team took home three separate top-five finishes, while the women's team was led by senior Hannah Garn's (Charlotte, Mich./Charlotte) sixth-place finish in the 5000-meter run.
What Happened
- Junior Justin Jones (Cedar Spring, Mich./Cedar Springs) placed fourth in the 3000-meter, finishing just three seconds shy of his personal-best set at the MIAA Indoor Championships last season.
- Sophomore John Mitrzyk (Standish, Mich./Standish-Sterling Central) took fourth in the long jump, posting a new personal-best leap of 6.60 meters.
- Sophomore Payton Hirschenberger claimed fourth place in the triple jump, setting a new personal-best 12.71 meters.
- Hannah Garn's sixth-place run in the 5000-meter came while running a new career-best of 18:34.4.
They Said It
Head Coach Matt Chovanec: "A number of the people we took to this meet put in the work during the off-season, and it showed. However, we can't settle. We have Christmas break coming up, then a meet just four days after we get back. We need to continue to get better everyday."
Notables
- Freshman Torres Ingraham made his mark on Alma's program, posting a 7.14-second 60-meter dash, the second-fastest time ever ran by a Scot, good for 10th place.
- John Mitrzyk's 200-meter time of 23.29 on Saturday sits as the fourth-fastest 200-meter time in Alma history.
What's Next
The Scots sit idle for the remainder of 2017. After the turn of the new year, Alma will participate in the Jack Skoog Triangular, hosted by Central Michigan University on Friday, January 12.
