By Bryson Hartzler

The Bluffton University track and field program traveled to the campus of Defiance College to compete in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference indoor track and field championships on Saturday, Feb. 16.

The Beavers set two new school records as well as multiple personal bests on their way to two 7th place finishes. Hanover College captured the women’s indoor title, while the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology won the men’s indoor title.

Kendall Weber (Wauseon) reset her school record in the 60m hurdles with a time of 9.55 to finish in third place overall. Weber also took 4th place in the long jump with a leap of 15-11.25, and led off the 4x200 meter relay.

The relay team, which also included Hannah Krull (Lewisburg/Tri-County North), Kayla Mullenhour (Delphos/Jefferson) and Nichole Peterman (Killbuck/West Holmes), placed 6th with a season-best time.

Maddie Moore (Linn Grove, Ind./South Adams) also improved on her school record in the mile, running 5:29.72 to finish in 3rd place. Moore returned later in the 3k, running a solid race to finish in 6th place. Alison Janzen (Whitewater, Kan./Remington) finished just behind her teammate in the 3k in 7th place, after running the 5k earlier in the day. Janzen opened the meet for the Beavers with a third place finish in the women’s 5k.

Elsewhere on the track, freshman Nichole Peterman finished in 4th place in the 800m with a time of 2:30.37. Peterman was the top freshman in the field.

Peterman also anchored the 4x200m relay team and the 4x400 meter team. The 4x400 m team of Kayla Mullenhour, Hannah Krull and Tara Murphy (Westerville/Thomas Worthington) took 6th overall, shaving seven seconds off their season best.

Zachary Smith (West Unity/Hilltop) was also the first freshman to cross the line in the men’s mile, finishing in 6th place. Smith also anchored the DMR and 4x400 m relay.

The 4x400 team of Josh Mattoon (Rawson/Cory-Rawson), Martin Russ (Rocky River) and Mitch McKenzie (Plymouth) claimed 7th place with the DMR team of Colin McCloskey (Sylvania/Northview), Joshua Mattoon and Martin Russ, finishing in third place.

The women’s DMR team of Demi Snider (Kenton), Kayla Mullenhour, Hannah Krull and Tara Murphy came in 6th place.

The freshman duo of Calib Alexander (Ocala, Fla./St. John Lutheran) and Dante Dalton (Ecorse, Mich./Riverview Community) both ran personal bests in the 60m dash, advancing to the final.

Dalton finished 8th with a time of 7.29 while Alexander crossed the line 3rd with a blazing time of 7.02. The duo was joined by Joshua Mattoon and Joel Schmidt (Berne, Ind./South Adams) for a 6th place finish in the 4x200 m relay. Joel Schmidt also placed 8th in the 60m hurdles.

The field events were once again highlighted by the throwers. Freshman Chase Walters (Convoy/Crestview) earned 7th place in the weight throw with teammate Jeff Parker (Bristol, Ind./Northridge) finishing in 8th place in the shot put with a personal-best throw.

On the women’s side, Julie Court (Galion) used a personal best in the shot put to finish 7th with teammate Marcea West-Estell (Toledo/Notre Dame Academy) also finishing 7th in the weight throw with a personal best.

Head Coach Karen Brandt was enthusiastic about her young team’s potential. “As a predominately freshman team in the process of rebuilding, we took a big step forward at the HCAC championship meet. I’m proud of our new athletes for being among the few freshman to advance to the final rounds of the 60m and 60m hurdles or to score points in throws, the mile, and relays alongside senior athletes in the middle distance and distance events. There is more work to do and more team to be built, but this group is providing a strong foundation not only for the upcoming outdoor season but for the future of the program.”

The Beavers will transition to the outdoor season over the next few weeks before they open up at Muskingum University on March 16.