ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's track and field team won their third straight Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Championship on Saturday with a team score of 208.
The Thunder were first-place in seven different events on the day, with 42 different scorers.
In field events, it was Theodore Samra [Lansing, Mich. / DeWitt] topping the charts in both the weight throw (17.19 meters) and shot put (14.65). Jacob Barkey [Waterloo, Ind. / DeKalb], Ben Alston [Adrian, Mich. / Adrian] and Alexander Lewis [LaPorte, Ind. / LaPorte] were fourth, fifth and eighth in the weight throw while Travis Dowling [Swayzee, Ind. / Oak Hill] was fourth and Lewis fifth in the shot put.
In jumps, Ben Williams [Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison] was the event winner in the long jump at 6.86 meters. Brycen Abbott [Findlay, Ohio / Liberty Benton] and Ethan Spahr [Osseo, Mich. / Pittsford] were sixth and eighth in the event. Greysen Spohn [Peru, Ind. / Peru] was also champion in the high jump at 1.95 meters. Spahr was fourth and Garret Kelley [Fremont, Ind. / Fremont] sixth.
Spahr recorded a new school record with a third-place 13.22 meters in the triple jump. Noah McClellan [Schererville, Ind. / Lake Central] and Eirik Eggen [Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg] were sixth and eighth.
Jake Gladieux [Oregon, Ohio / Whitmer] was the top Trine finisher in three events: the 60-meter hurdles, 400-meter dash and 200-meter dash. He won the hurdles with a time of 8.17 seconds, with Spohn in second, Evan Selby [Lake Villa, Ill. / Lake Villa] in fifth and Clayton Kirkpatrick [Kendallville, Ind. / Central Noble] in eighth. Gladieux's race-winning time of 50.25 in the 400 was followed by Kyran Pearson [Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart Central] in sixth and Ryan Smith [Peru, Ind. / Peru] in eighth. Gladieux was second in the 200 at 22.36 seconds. Behind him were Williams P3, Thonn P4 and Josh Davis [Sterling Heights, Mich. / Sterling Heights] P6.
Danny Vinson [Berrien Springs, Mich. / Berrien Springs] was second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.93 seconds, just a tick off the school record. Davis, Thonn and Maxwell Harris [Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg] placed third, fourth and sixth for Trine.
Noah Packard [Kokomo, Ind. / Western] led the way for the Thunder in distance events with a race win in the 5000-meter run at 15:13.43. Zach Brickler [Indianapolis, Ind. / Ben Davis] finished fifth in the event to podium as well. Noah Acker [Kendallville, Ind. / East Noble] was second-place in the 3000-meter run (8:42.08) with Packard on the podium in eighth. The mile run saw Holden Martin [Indianapolis, Ind. / Scecina Memorial] finish a team-high fifth with a time of 4:28.48. Aidan Lapp [South Bend, Ind. / Riley] was just behind in sixth.
The 800-meter run saw Connor Miller [Warren, Ind. / Huntington North] place sixth at 2:00.77.
Trine was third and fifth in relay events. In the distance medley relay, the team of Ashton Still [Sellersburg, Ind. / Silver Creek], Ty Hoover [Monticello, Ind. / Twin Lakes], Philip Nemechek [East Jordan, Mich. / East Jordan] and Gehrig Longe [Birmingham, Mich. / Seaholm] were third (10:58.06) and Patrick Boulay [Noblesville, Ind. / Kaiserslautern American], Ryan Smith, Pearson and Hoover were fifth in the 4x400 meter relay (3:31.46).
The Thunder will continue looking ahead to the NCAA DIII National Championships with next weekend's Last Chance Meet at Wartburg College on March 4 and 5.