By Harrison LaLone, Sports Information student assistant
Adrian, Mich. - The Alma College track and field team opened competition at the MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 3.
Thursday featured half of the 16 field events, the men's and women's 10,000-meter run, and the preliminary qualifiers for all other track events. Friday will feature the remaining field events and all track finals.
What Happened
- Sophomore John Mitrzyk (Standish, Mich./Standish-Sterling) jumped out to an early points-lead for the men with a fifth-place finish in the long jump at 6.37 meters good for four points. Sophomore Payton Hirschenberger (Freeland, Mich./Saginaw Nouvel) finished within two inches of Mitrzyk for sixth in the event, adding three points to the men's total.
- Freshman Charley Hengesbach (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel Catholic Central) led the points day for the women blasting her previous personal-best in the discus by over four meters. Her fling of 37.04 meters earned her fifth in the event and four team points.
- Junior Kyle Kraus (Middleville, Mich./Thornapple-Kellogg) added three points with a personal-best 42.98-meter toss in the javelin throw, good for sixth in the event.
- Freshman Grace Hearth (Freeland, Mich./Valley Lutheran) earned 2.5 points for the women's team with a 1.45-meter high jump performance that left her tied for sixth.
- Senior Karen Flesh (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) rounded out the points-earners on Thursday with a seventh-place finish in the hammer throw. Her toss of 37.19 meters earned two points for the women's team and set a new personal best.
Who Qualified
- Sophomore Jacob Wildenhaus (Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christi) finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles preliminary with a time of 16.26 seconds.
- Grace Hearth qualified sixth for the 100-meter dash at 13.25 seconds.
- Sophomore Blaire Showers (Ithaca, Mich./Ithaca) qualified eighth for the 800-meter run at 2:26.64.
- Freshman Stephanie Davis (Elmira, Mich./Gaylord) qualified eighth in the 100-meter hurdles at 18.08 seconds.
Up Next
Alma College track and field returns to Adrian College tomorrow for the conclusion of the MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Field competition opens at 10 a.m. while track competition resumes at 1:30 p.m.
