ALBION, Mich. – The Trine University men's track and field team won their fifth straight Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) title on Friday in the 2022 Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Albion College. The Thunder men have won every indoor and outdoor championship contested since 2019.
Trine held a sizable margin over second-place Hope College after scoring 228 points to the Flying Dutch's 161.
The Thunder brought home four event victories on day two, including both hurdle races. Jake Gladieux [Oregon, Ohio / Whitmer] won the 110-meter hurdles (14.63 seconds) in a 1-2-3 finish with Evan Selby [Lake Villa, Ill. / Lake Villa] (15.00 seconds) and Greysen Spohn [Peru, Ind. / Peru] (15.01 seconds). Gladieux was first in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.47 seconds. Ty Hoover [Monticello, Ind. / Twin Lakes] in sixth (1:00.54) and Selby in eighth (1:04.16) were also point scorers in that event.
The 4x100-meter relay team of Spohn, Josh Davis [Sterling Heights, Mich. / Sterling Heights], Ben Williams [Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison] and Danny Vinson [Berrien Springs, Mich. / Berrien Springs] crossed the line first with a time of 41.91 seconds. The final event win of the day came from Travis Dowling [Swayzee, Ind. / Oak Hill] in the discus. He completed the event with a throw of 40.62 meters (133' 3.25") and Dillon Dennison [Ithica, Mich. / Alma] was sixth in the event at 38.50 meters (126' 3.75").
Trine had three runner-up finishes as well. In the high jump, Spohn was second at 1.86 meters (6' 1.25") and he was joined by a parade of Thunder athletes on the podium. Ethan Spahr [Osseo, Mich. / Pittsford] was third (1.83 meters / 6' 0.00"), with Garret Kelley [Fremont, Ind. / Fremont] and Nikolas Uhler [Charlottesville, Ind. / Eastern Hancock] in fifth and sixth (1.75 meters / 5' 9.00"). Vinson (10.90 seconds) also led a platoon of men with a silver in the 100-meter dash. Davis (10.94 seconds), Williams (11.10 seconds) and William Thonn [Rochester, Ind. / Rochester] (11.20 seconds) were third, fifth and sixth.
The javelin saw Noah McClellan [Schererville, Ind. / Lake Central] place second with a throw of 46.67 meters (153' 1.50") and Spahr sixth at 42.31 meters (138' 9.75").
Joseph Packard [Kokomo, Ind. / Western] led a crowd of Trine members in the 5000-meter run with a third-place time of 14:52.35. Noah Acker [Kendallville, Ind. / East Noble] was fourth at 14:54.01 and Zach Brickler [Indianapolis, Ind. / Ben Davis] eighth with a time of 15:27.47.
In the triple jump, Spahr put together a fourth-place score at 13.06 meters (42' 10.25"). Williams led a 4-5-6 finish in the 200-meter dash with Davis and Spohn in tow. Williams had a time of 22.39 seconds, while Davis finished in 22.51 and Spohn 22.66 seconds. The 4x400-meter relay team of Selby, Spohn, Aaron Pike [New Richmond, Ohio / New Richmond] and Gladieux was also fourth (3:24.51).
Holden Martin [Indianapolis, Ind. / Scecina Memorial] completed the 1500-meter race win fifth with a time of 4:05.24, and Aidan Lapp [South Bend, Ind. / Riley] led a group of three in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Lapp was sixth (10:04.10) while Connor Miller [Warren, Ind. / Huntington North] was seventh (10:19.66) and Austin Smith [Jackson, Mich. / Napoleon] eighth (10:19.80).
Pike (51.80 seconds) and Martin (1:59.33) brought home seventh-place points in the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run to complete the Thunder efforts.
Trine will enter the Saint Francis Fighting Chance on May 13-14 to get a last chance for athletes to qualify for nationals.
