HILLSDALE, MICH.-- Trine's track and field teams combined for six performances that topped Division III competitors in the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic, held Friday and Saturday at Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center.
Highlighting the Thunder's top performers was Tyler Bourdo (Plainwell, Mich./Delton-Kellogg). Bourdo finished fifth overall and best among Division III performers in the 400 Meter Dash with a time of 49.86 seconds. He finished ahead of competitors froms several Division II schools in the finals. The junior finished 17th overall and best in Division III in the 200 Meter Dash with a time of 23.07 seconds. The Hillsdale Wide Track Classic featured performers from all NCAA Divisions, as well as NAIA and junior college competitors.
Trisha King (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold) matched Bourdo's fifth-place finish in the 400 Meter Dash on the women's side. King's time of 2:17.29 was the best by a Division III runner in the event. Her time was a shade under five seconds better than her previous-best effort this season.
Freshman Jacob Leopold (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf) was the fastest D-III runner in the 800 Meter Run. His time of 2:01.81 was good enough for 11th-overall.
Leopold also made up part of the 4 x 400 Meter Relay team that finished fifth overall. He was joined by Bourdo, James Gregory (Warsaw, Ind./Tippecanoe Valley) and Luke Fimreite (McCordsville, Ind./Mount Vernon). The quartet combined for a time of 3:28.34, placing ahead of teams from Division II institutions Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley.
Gregory added a strong performance in the 60 Meter Hurdles, placing 2nd among D-III performers and 19th-overall with at time of 9.18 seconds. Kassandra Ellsworth (Saugerties, N.Y./Kingston) matched Gregory with the second-best D-III time in the 60 Meter Hurdles, finishing in 10.27 seconds.
Rounding out the top performances in Division III was Andrew Bunting (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) in the Weight Throw. Bunting's effort was good enough for 49'-2.25" (14.99 meters). That throw was a little over a foot better than his previous best this season.
On the women's side, Jenn Steyer (Fenton, Mich./Lake Fenton) was also a strong performer for the Thunder in the Weight Throw. Steyer's throw of 38'-4" (11.68 meters) was third among Division III throwers.
Derek Scott (Niles, Mich./Niles) was the fifth-best D-III performer in the Shot Put, while Sloan Davis (Charlotte, Mich./Olivet) was sixth on the women's side.
Lincoln Frey (Pettisville, Ohio/Pettisville) turned in the second-best Division III performance in the Pole Vault with a height of 13'-9.25" (4.2 meters). Kadie Kachmaryk (Standish, Mich./Au Gres-Sims) finished fourth with a height of 8'-2.5" (2.50 meters).
The Thunder men also turned in a strong performance in distance events. Austin Ganger (Mishawaka, Ind./Mishawaka) finished second overall in the 5000 Meter Run and 13th overall (4th in D-III) in the 3000 Meter Run. Kyle Gater placed 12th overall in the One-Mile Run, while Garrett Benedict (Mishawaka, Ind./Penn) placed 14th.
Ariel McCoy (Garrett, Ind./Garrett) turned in the best women's distance performance, finishing 24th overall in the 3000 Meter Run.
The Trick track and field teams will host the Trine Invitational on Friday, Feb. 14. Events are slated to get underway at 4:30 p.m.