ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine men's track and field team notched nine first-place finishes in the season-opening Sean Brady Conditioner Saturday afternoon in Keith E. Busse / Steel Dynamics Athletic Recreation Center.
Patrick Richardville (Leo, Ind. / Leo) led the way with a pair of first-place finishes. The junior won the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.11 seconds. He later added a win the 200-meter dash, notching a time of 23.04 seconds.
Paced by Richardville, the Thunder took home five of the top eight times in the 60-meter dash. Devan Emerson (Elkhart, Ind. / Jimtown) palced second with a time of 7.22 seconds. Richardville also led the top three places for Trine runners in the 200-meter dash. Freshman Jacob Root (Vicksburg, Mich. / Vicksburg) placed second in his first collegiate race, while Gregory Littlejohn (LaPorte, Ind. / LaPorte) finished third.
Jasper Bassett (Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb) continued the success in sprinting events with a win the 400-meter dash. The sophomore's time of 50.41 seconds was four seconds faster than the second-place finisher. Bassett's time was a personal-best indoor time in the event.
Richardville, Bassett and Root combined with freshman Matt Bollan (Pleasant Lake, Ind. / Angola) to win the 4-x-400-meter relay. The four runners combined for a time 3:34.80 to win by eight seconds.
Paul Baker (Columbus, Ind. / Columbus East), Nicholas Zak (Saint John, Ind. / Hanover Central) and Jonathan Phillips (Royal Center, Ind. / Pioneer) added wins on the track. Baker won the 800-meter run, while Zak took home the top place in the Mile Run. Phillips set a new personal-best of 9:04.62 to win the 3,000-meter run. Collin Elek (Osceola, Ind. / Penn) also set a new PR in the 3K.
Andrew Bunting (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick) led a group of Thunder throwers that took home four of the top five spots in the weight throw. Bunting unleashed a throw of 54 feet, 8.75 inches. Mitch Martin (Monroe, Mich. / Monroe) placed second and added a third-place finish in the shot put.
Chris Carver (Angola, Ind. / Sand Creek) added a personal-best throw of 47 feet, 1.75 inches to place fourth in the weight throw. Nick Gerber (Goshen, Ind. / Goshen) placed fifth.
Rounding out Trine's wins on the day was Jeffery Barnett (Fremont, Ohio / Fremont-Ross) first-place finish in the long jump. Barnett jumped 21 feet, 10.25 inches to narrowly edge teammate Eric Townsend (Greenwood, Ind. / Roncalli) for first. Townsend's jump was measured at a personal-best 21 feet, 6.75 inches.
Collin Butler (Spring Lake, Mich. / Fruitport) added a personal-best performance in the pole vault, clearing a height of 13 feet, 6.25 inches. He placed second.
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As part of the meet, Trine honored the memory of the late Sean Brady, a former member of the Thunder track and field and cross country teams who was killed in an auto accident at the age of 18. The team presented Sean's family with a championship ring from last year's MIAA Indoor title season, as well as shirts the team wears to honor the memory of their former teammate. The team is thankful for the support of Sean's family, and team members will continue to honor the memory of their former teammate and friend.