HILLSDALE, MICH. -- Junior Jeffery Barnett (Fremont, Ohio/Fremont-Ross) and senior Patrick Richardville (Leo, Ind./Leo) both recorded event victories to lead the Trine University men's track and field team in Friday competition of the Hillsdale College "Gina Relays" in Hillsdale, Mich.
The Thunder competed against athletes from all levels, including NCAA Division I, II and III schools.
Barnett led the Trine field athletes with a first-place finish in the long jump with a winning leap of 23' 3.50" (7.10 meters) which was 7.50" farther than his nearest opponent in Jon Edwards from Div. I Michigan State University. Barnett's mark was two inches short of his own outdoor school record (23' 5.50") that was set last May.
Also in the field events, junior Mitchell Martin (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) recorded a top-10 finish in the hammer throw following a distance of 161' 1.00" (49.09 meters which was good enough for eighth place. Sophomore Paul Arend (Hicksville, Ohio/Fairview) also placed in the top-20 in 19th place after recording a best toss of 129' 10.00" (39.57 meters).
Junior Nicholas Gerber (Goshen, Ind./Goshen) and sophomore Skyler Dunckley (Cedar, Mich./Traverse City West) posted top-20 finishes in the shot put with Gerber placing 16th with a distance of 43' 2.50" (13.17 meters) and Dunckley was 19th with a mark of 41' 1.50" (12.53 meters).
Richardville led Trine on the track with a first-place showing in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.61 seconds, setting a school outdoor record by one one-hundreths of a second. He owned the previous outdoor school record (10.62 seconds) which he set last year. His time also puts him in a three-way tie for eighth nationally in the event. In addition to Richardville, sophomore Jacob Root (Vicksburg, Mich./Vicksburg) placed in the top-10 in seventh place after crossing the finish line in a time of 11.05 seconds.
Richardville was also one of three Trine athletes to finish in the top-10 in the 200-meter dash and placed second overall in a time of 22.18 seconds. Barnett, who captured the long jump in the field events, finished two spots back in fourth place and posted a time of 22.45 seconds. Junior Jasper Bassett (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) was eighth in a mark of 22.62 seconds. In addition, Root placed 20th with a time of 23.11 seconds.
Bassett also recorded a top-10 showing in the 400-meter dash in third place with a time of 49.31 seconds.
In the 800-meter run, senior Paul Baker (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) and junior Nicholas Zak (Saint John, Ind./Hanover Central) rounded out the top running performances with a pair of top-20 times with Baker running a time of 1:57.45 to place 14th and Zack had a mark of 1:58.31 which was good enough for 19th place.
The men's track and field team will conclude the Gina Relays tomorrow (Saturday, Apr. 28). The first event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.