ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine men's track and field team will be looking to earn a conference championship at MIAA Field Day Thursday and Friday at Calvin College.
The Thunder boast four MIAA-leading performances entering the conference championship meet, led by three of the top four MIAA efforts in the hammer throw. Nick Gerber (Goshen, Ind. / Goshen) owns the conference's best performance in the event at 52.32 meters (171 feet, 1 inch). Mitch Martin (Monroe, Mich. / Monroe) sits just behind with the second-best MIAA hammer performane this season, while Andrew Bunting (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick) is ranked fourth.
All three performers are expected to contend for points elsewhere in throwing events. Gerber leads Trine and ranks third in the MIAA in the shot put and is ranked fifth in the discus. Martin is ranked third in the discus, while Bunting is sixth. Derek Scott (Niles, Mich. / Niles) and Skyler Dunckley (Cedar, Mich. / Traverse City West) will also contend to factor into the scoring in the shot put. David Schaaf (Kokomo, Ind. / Northwestern) is ranked fifth in the javelin throw.
Jeffery Barnett (Fremont, Ohio / Fremont-Ross) will be looking to follow up on his indoor title in the long jump. He enters the outdoor meet with the MIAA's best long jump performance at 7.10 meters (23 feet, 3.5 inches). That mark is ranked 22nd in the nation. He was the national runner-up in the event during the indoor campaign.
Ryan Haarer (Goshen, Ind. / Northridge) leads three Thunder who rank in the top five in the conference in the pole vault. Haarer owns the top vault, while Collin Butler (Spring Lake, Fruitport) and Trey Waagen (Horton, Mich. / Hanover-Horton) are ranked fourth and fifth respectively.
On the track, Patrick Richardville (Leo, Ind. / Leo) owns the MIAA's top mark in the 100-meter dash with a Trine school-ecord 10.62 seconds. Barnett ranks just behind in second. Barnett (third) and Richardville (seventh) also rank among the top eight in the 200-meter dash.
Jasper Bassett (Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb) is ranked second in the MIAA in the 400-meter dash. Jacob Leopold (Ottawa, Ohio / Ottawa-Glandorf), Nick Hayes (Merrillville, Ind. / Merrillville), James Washington (Michigan City, Ind. / Michigan City) and Jacob Root (Vicksburg, Mich. / Vicksburg) are also candidates to score in sprinting events.
Barnett, Hayes, Root and Washington own the MIAA's second-best time in the 4-x-100-meter relay at 43.18 seconds. Bassett, Richardville, Mat Bollan (Pleasant Lake, Ind. / Angola) and Barnett combined on the second-best 4-x-400-meter relay time, run in their last performance at the Al Owens Classic.
Bollan also figures to contend in hurdles. Bollan is ranked second in the conference in the 110-meter hurdles and fourth in the 400-meter hurdles.
All-MIAA First Team cross country runner Adam Schaaf (Greentown, Ind. / Eastern) anchors Trine's efforts in distance events. Jonathan Phillips (Royal Center, Ind. / Pioneer) has turned in solid times in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Trine finished third in last year's MIAA Field Day meet. The Thunder placed second in the conference's championship meet during the indoor season.
MIAA Field Day is being held Thursday, May 4-5 at Calvin College's Zuidema Field Track. Events begin Thursday at 1 p.m. Friday's events are slated to begin at 10 a.m. For a complete schedule of events, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE to visit the Championship Central page.