GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Senior Jack Beakas (Auburn, Ind. / DeKalb) finished the 10,000-meter finals in ninth place while two of his teammates secured spots in the finals of their events with strong preliminary performances as Trine University track and field began competition at the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Beakas made a move around the 11th lap reaching as high as fifth position in the race, but fell out of the leaders' group and back to the middle of the pack as the race finished. He would need a last push to finish in ninth after falling out of the top ten for a lap. He would finish the race with a time of 30:56.32.

Senior Evie Bultemeyer () competed in the second heat of the preliminary 1500-meter race. She would finish her heat in fifth with a time of 4:37.33. Overall she came in with the tenth best time, good enough to earn a spot in the finals which is scheduled to be run on Saturday, May 29 at 12:25 p.m.

Sophomore Jake Gladieux (Oregon, Ohio / Whitmer) was the second student-athlete to reach the finals in his event. He was runner-up in the second heat of the 400-meter hurdles finishing with a time of 52.64, qualifying for the finals as the four-seed. That race is scheduled to begin at 2:25 p.m. on Saturday. He will first take the track for the preliminary round of the 110-meter hurdles tomorrow, May 28 at 2:30 p.m.

The final competitor for the Thunder was senior Levi Neuzerling (Noblesville, Ind. / Noblesville) who competed in the first heat of the 1500-meter race. He would miss out on advancing to the finals after finishing with a time of 4:03.12.