HOLLAND, Mich. – Returning to the southwest side of the state for the final day of competition at the MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, presented by Collegiate Credit Union, the Alma College track and field team had their sights set on climbing the leaderboard for day two. The Scots saw a handful of finishes scoring points towards the team totals in a highly competitive championship meet.
Scoring additional points towards the Scots total, Helena Snyder added a fifth-place finish in the high jump to her resume, clearing the bar at 1.59 meters. Snyder's finish scored the Scots four points to the women's team total. The discus throw saw two Scots place in the top eight as Sarah Krupa claimed a third-place finish with a personal best throw of 38.23 meters, tying the second-place competitors mark as well. Krupa's finish scored six points for the team. Teammate Ella Moylan finished two spots back in fifth, with a mark of 35.51 meters, scoring four more points for the women. In the relays, the Scots 4x100 team of MaryAlice Lynch, Lauren Brawt, Kadyn Maida and Snyder claimed sixth place with a time of 50.84, scoring three team points. The time of 50.84 is the tenth fastest time in school history, and a season best time for the crew. The 4x400 relay team of Brawt, Sophia Sanford, Jordan Fox and Snyder secured a fifth-place finish with a time of 4:13.44, scoring four more additional points. The 4x400 time was also the fastest time of the season for the crew competing.
Competing in the 400-meter finals, Aiden Tornberg secured a fifth-place finish, an improvement from his eighth-place prelims finish, with a time of 51.11, scoring four points for the men's team total. The triple jump tandem of Ed Markarian and Nick Mikesell finished fifth and sixth place, respectively, with marks of 13.47 meters and 13.18 meters. The 13.47 mark from Markarian and the 13.18 mark from Mikesell were personal bests en route to their respective finishing positions. Joshua Oziwele clinched a seventh-place finish in the high jump competition, clearing a mark of 1.89 meters, tying his personal best from last year's championship meet. Oziwele scored two points towards the team total with his placement. The Scots 4x100 meter relay team of Onction Zape, Tristian Gist, Trace Laskey and Justin Goodman ran a race time of 44.05, placing sixth, for three additional points. The 4x400 meter relay team of Aiden Aldrich, Eliott Buchan, Phillip Banner and Tornberg placed fifth with a time of 3:27.45, scoring the final four points for the men's team.
The women's team finished the championship in sixth place with 36.0 points, while the men finished in seventh place, with a total of 33.0 points. Calvin University was crowned the champion for both men and women, finishing ahead of Hope College and Trine University, who both finished second and third, respectively, on both sides.
Alma will now look towards last chance meets for the opportunity to send individuals to the NCAA National Championship, to be hosted in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the third weekend in May.
