Elliott, Reeher Hit ‘A’ Standards in Concordia Track Action
Competing in a trio of meets over the weekend, the Concordia University track & field team posted a number of season bests while Mikel Elliott and Jordan Reeher notched NAIA automatic qualifiers for the Cavaliers.
Concordia will continue its season next weekend with athletes competing at the University of Oregon Twilight in Eugene and at the Pacific Twilight in Forest Grove, Ore.
The following week, Concordia will host the 2012 CCC Championships at Mt. Hood C.C. on May 10-11.
Bryan Clay Invitational Recap -
Results
AZUSA, Calif.—Racing the steeplechase for the first time as a Cavalier, Mikel Eliott placed sixth overall while turning in a time of 11:11.53 which not only ranks No. 2 on the all-time Concordia charts, but earns the junior transfer automatic entry into the NAIA National Championships.
The time easily surpassed the ‘A’ standard of 11:25.00 and trails only Lauren Moran’s school record. Moran, a three-time All-American in the event, holds the school mark at 10:43.23.
Three Cavs posted career bests in the 1,500 with Linsie Michels edging closer to Andria Scheese’s 2011 school record of 4:28.36. Michels placed third in her section with a 4:28.80, an improvement by .29 over her previous career best and the No. 2 mark in the NAIA.
Megan VonBargen and Roman Kirkov also posted career bests on the event with VonBargen finishing in 5:00.72, four seconds faster than her previous best, and Kirkov on 4:00.82, a .02 improvement from earlier in the year.
In the short sprints, Marshey Brown dashed her way to a pair of all-time bests with a 12.74 in the 100 and a 25.99 in the 200. Brown held previous bests of 12.89 and 26.38 in the two races.
Mt. SAC Relays Recap -
Results
WALNUT, Calif.—Holding a provisional qualifying mark entering the weekend with a 54.16 in the 400-meter hurdles, Jordan Reeher set a season best with a 53.53 to tackle the NAIA auto standard of 53.80.
Chasing a qualifier in the flat 400, Andre Washington toured the track in 48.81, just off his school recrd of 48.45 and the NAIA ‘B’ standard of 48.50.
Already the nation’s leading shot putter, junior transfer Willy Irwin continued to make his case as one of the best throwers in NAIA history. Irwin, the national indoor champion, unleashed a throw of 63-11 1/2 (19.49m) to place second overall while competing in an elite field.
The distance helped Irwin defeat a pair of top-12 finishers at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Joseph Kovacs and Eric Weskey and would have placed seventh overall at the same trials. In addition, the distance is the second best recorded in the last 61 years of the NAIA National Championships, second only to Taylor’s (Ind.) Steve Ercegovacs’s winning throw of 65-9 3/4 in 2000.
Not content with just the shot put, Irwin inched closer to the No. 1 ranking in the discus with a season best 191-9 (58.46m) effort. The mark added more than three feet to his previous season best and now trails Doane’s (Neb.) Zack Lindsley (193-2) by just under a foot and a half. Irwin also moved into the No. 2 position on CU’s all-time performance list, ahead of two-time national champion Nik Kay (190-7) and trailing only the 197-5 mark set by 2012 national champion and current Cavalier Nate Moses.
Taking over the NAIA’s No. 1 ranking in the hammer throw, Adam Riddle surpassed teammate Bo Johnson on the performance list with a career best 195-6 (54.58m) for a fifth-place finish. Riddle’s toss added more than six feet to his previous best to give CU the NAIA’s top two athletes in the event. Johnson entered the meet with a 193-5 throw this season and a 195-10 career best.
Long Beach State Recap -
Results
NORWALK, Calif.—A day after improving on her No. 1 NAIA ranking in the shot put, Gabriella Dixson repeated the effort with a 50-2 3/4 (15.31m) at the Long Beach State Invitational. The addition bettered Dixson’s previous season best of 49-7 3/4 and sets the senior apart as the lone NAIA thrower over 50 feet in the discipline. Hastings’ (Neb.) Jennifer Maag holds the No. 2 mark in the NAIA with a 48-11 1/2.
On the track, senior Linsie Michels flirted with her second personal best with a 2:11.92 in the 800-meter run. Fresh off an all-time best in the 800, Michels crossed the line just .23 off her career best in the two-lapper. Michels ended the weekend ranked No. 2 in the NAIA in the 1,500 and No. 5 in the 800. Also competing in the event, freshman Megan VonBargen crossed more than a full second off her career best with a 2:25.68.
In the 400, Andre Washington, the school record holder in the event, came back from a 48.81 at Mt. SAC to turn in a 48.69.
Bryan Clay Invitational
Azusa Pacific
Azusa, Calif.
April 18
800: 4. (Section 5) Demetruis Rhodes, 1:55.89.
1,500: 9. (Section 5) Roman Kirkov, 4:00.83.
5,000: 9. (Section 2) Alan Johnston, 16:10.48.
110 Hurdles: 5. (Section 4) Maxwell Waters, 15.86.
Triple Jump: 3. (Section 2) Ethan Moore, 44-11 3/4 (13.71m).
High Jump: T7. Ethan Moore, 6-7 1/2 (2.02m).
Javelin: 1. (Section 3) Stephen Walter, 159-8 (48.66m).
100: 4. (Section 7) Marshey Brown, 12.74; 7. (Section 8) Kristin Monda, 13.47.
200: 1. (Section 9) Marshey Brown, 25.88; 5. (Section 9) Kristin Monda, 27.40.
1,500: 3. (Section 1) Linsie Michels, 4:28.80. 3. (Section 5) Megan VonBargen, 5:00.72
. 5,000: 13. (Section 1) Sarah Whybark, 18:38.12.
Steeple: 6. Mikel Elliott, 11:11.53.
Discus: 9. (Section 1) Emily Redmayne-Title, 143-0 (43.60m).
Javelin: 8. (Section 2) Robbie Langrell, 115-10 (35.32m).
Mt SAC Relays
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, Calif.
April 19
400: 39. Andre Washington, 48.81.
5,000: Ben Foubert, DNF.
400 Hurdles: 15. Jordan Reeher, 53.52.
Shot: 2. Willy Irwin, 63-11 1/2 (19.49m).
Discus: 4. Willy Irwin, 191-9 (58.46m).
Hammer: 5. Adam Riddle, 195-6 (59.58m); 19. Bo Johnson, 178-11 (54.53m).
Shot: 3. Gabriella Dixson, 50-2 1/2 (15.30m).
Discus: 19. Gabriella Dixson, 157-2 (47.91m).
Hammer: 10. Sharayah Kenady, 189-9 (57.85m).
Long Beach State Invitational
Cerritos College
Norwalk, Calif.
April 20
400: 14. Andre Washington, 48.69; 37. Jordan Reeher, 50.35; 38. Demetruis Rhodes, 50.36.
100 Hurdles: Maxwell Waters, DQ.
Long Jump: 32. Jordan Reeher, 21-4 1/4 (6.51m).
High Jump: T11. Ethan Moore, 6-5 (1.96m).
Javelin: Stephen Walter, Foul.
400: 78. Kristin Monda, 1:06.45.
800: 18. Linsie Michels, 2:11.92; 97. Megan VonBargen, 2:25.68.
Shot: 1. Gabriella Dixson, 50-2 3/4 (15.31m).
Javelin: 30. Robbie Langrell, 112-11 (34.42m).