ANGOLA, IND.—The Trine men's and women's track and field teams look to start the outdoor season strong at the 2015 Vanderbilt Black & Gold Invitational this Friday and Saturday.
On the men's side, the Thunder pick up after a first place finish at the Trine Indoor Championships last month. Though not formally recognized by the MIAA, the meet served as an unofficial conference championship. The Thunder hope to attain their first outdoor conference win at the MIAA Field Day on April 30th – May 1st.
Leading the men's squad is four-time All-American Tyler Bourdo (Plainwell, Mich./Delton-Kellogg). Bourdo enters his final season with back-to-back seventh place finishes in the 400 M Dash at this year's Indoor National Championships and last year's Outdoor National Championships. He is expected to contend for another national appearance and third-straight conference win in the event, as well as gold in the 200 M.
The senior anchors a 4 x 400 M Relay team that finished 14th in the nation during the indoor season, two spots away from championship qualification. Joining Bourdo are junior Luke Fimreite (McCordsville, Ind./Mount Vernon), sophomore Jacob Leopold (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf) and freshman Zach Markley (Winamac, Ind./Winamac). The quartet anticipates a third-straight conference gold in the event. Fimreite and Markley are both top conference performers in the 400 M with Bourdo, while Leopold is a favorite to medal in the 800 M.
Freshman Patrick Richardville (Leo, Ind./Leo) and junior James Gregory (Warsaw, Ind./Tippecanoe Valley) are other key contributors on the track. Richardville will specialize in the 100 M and 200 M during his first outdoor campaign. Gregory resumes his role as the Thunder's top hurdler in both the 110 M and 400 M Hurdles.
A collection of underclassmen look to supply points in the distance events. Sophomores Austin Ganger (Mishawaka, Ind./Mishawaka) and Adam Schaaf (Greentown, Ind./Eastern) lead the charge in the 5K and 10K. Freshmen Robert Duke (Greentown, Ind./Eastern) and Ricardo Castillo (Goshen, Ind./Goshen) will concentrate on the shorter distance races.
Perhaps the strongest performers in the men's group come from three throwers. Juniors Andrew Bunting (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) and Sam Gilly (St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden) partnered with senior Dakota Bagwell (Kokomo, Ind./Western) to take home the top three spots in the Weight Throw at the Trine Indoor Championships. The same trio desires a similar finish in the Hammer Throw at Field Day.
The Thunder excel in the Shot Put too, with four athletes scoring points in the event last month. Bagwell joins fellow senior Courtney Mitchell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers), sophomore Derek Scott (Niles, Mich./Niles) and freshman Tyler Niehoff (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley) to make another dominant team of throwers.
Rounding out the top men's field athletes is John Daniel (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll). The junior is one of the top conference competitors in the Pole Vault and carries momentum from an impressive indoor showing. He will race in the 100 M and 200 M on top of his field event.
The 2015 Vanderbilt Black & Gold Invitational kicks off at 4 p.m. this Friday, March 27. Events conclude with the 4 x 400 M Relay on Saturday. CLICK HERE for meet information.
The outdoor schedule features six meets for the Thunder. CLICK HERE to view the complete schedule.
Article courtesy Luke Fimreite, Sports Information Student Assistant, Trine University '16