ANGOLA, Ind. – In their first competition since winter break, the Trine University men's track and field team was in action on Saturday at home in the Sean Brady Alumni Open. As a team, Trine was able to place third out of 10 teams.
The highlight of the day for the Thunder came from Jake Gladieux [Oregon, Ohio / Whitmer] as he broke his own record in the 60 hurdles with a time of 8.20 seconds in the finals. The time was good enough for second-place in the event. Josh Davis [Sterling Heights, Mich. / Sterling Heights] and Danny Vinson [Berrien Springs, Mich. / Berrien Springs] were also high finishers in sprinting events, for them the 60-meter run. Davis placed fifth at 7.04 seconds and Vinson sixth at 7.03 in the finals. Vinson set a new personal best in the prelims with a time of 6.93 seconds, just .02 off the school record.
Ben Williams [Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison] placed sixth in the 200-meter run with a time of 22.88 seconds, just off his school record time. Williams was also the top Trine athlete in the long jump with a second-place 6.83-meter (22' 5") leap. The Thunder also had scoring members Ryan Smith [Peru, Ind. / Peru] in the 400-meter run and Aidan Lapp [South Bend, Ind. / Riley] in the mile run. Smith was eighth in the 400 (53.80 seconds) and Lapp sixth in the mile run with a personal best 4:35.92.
The 800-meter run and 3,000-meter run were dominated by Thunder athletes, with Trine taking spots three through nine in the 800 and four of the top eight in the 3,000. The trio of Blane Johnson [Allegan, Mich. / Allegan Senior], Philip Nemechek [East Jordan, Mich. / East Jordan] and Ty Hoover [Monticello, Ind. / Twin Lakes] completed the 800 within 2:04 and Noah Acker [Kendallville, Ind. / East Noble] won the 3,000-meter run at 8:49.00.
Theodore Samra [Lansing, Mich. / DeWitt] was the top Trine scorer in the shot put (fifth) with a throw of 13.93 meters (45' 8.5") and weight throw (third) with a throw of 15.93 meters (52' 3.25"), both personal bests. Greysen Spohn [Peru, Ind. / Peru] placed fifth in the high jump at 1.90 meters (6' 2.75"), along with Noah McClellan [Schererville, Ind. / Lake Central] with a seventh-place triple jump at 12.56 meters (41' 2.5") in a strong field events day for the Thunder.
Next on the Trine schedule is the Snow Day Invite at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois on Friday, January 21.