Multiple runners set personal bests at Bellarmine Invitational

Home Charger Track and Field Multiple runners set personal bests at Bellarmine Invitational
Multiple runners set personal bests at Bellarmine Invitational
Junior Alex Oquist competes in Hillsdale’s 2019 indoor Wide Track Classic. (Todd Lancaster | Courtesy)

The Hillsdale College Chargers are beginning to show their depth as they traveled to Bellarmine University last weekend. Several athletes found success new events, while some earned personal bests in their normal races. 

The distance squad opened up the outdoor season on Friday as Chargers competed in everything from the 1500 meter run to the 10,000 meter run. 

Junior Joey Humes dominated in the 5000 meter run, taking first in 14 minutes and 43.64 seconds. It was the first time he’s run the 5k on an outdoor track since 2017, when he finished in 15:01.67. Humes continues to prove his wide range of capabilities on the track.

Hillsdale had two new runners in the 3000 meter steeplechase, as sophomore Mark Miller and junior Alex Oquist tested out the barriers and water jumps. Miller finished in third place in 9:35.96, and Oquist took fifth in 9:57.78. 

Freshmen Eric Poth and Adam Wier finished the 10k in 32:48.21 and 33:10.19, respectively. Poth took seventh, while Wier came in ninth. In the 1500 meter run, sophomore Jack Shelley took third in 4:04.17, just four seconds off of his personal best. 

In the sprints and hurdles, the Chargers broke several personal records. In the 200 meter dash, sophomore Adam Wade and junior Ian Brown finished in 22.71 and 22.74, respectively, both of which were personal bests. The two placed eighth and ninth. 

“I felt really fast coming off of the curve. I felt like I ran it technically really well,” Brown said. “The reason I run the 200 is because it’s very similar to the 110 meter hurdles, so the faster I can start moving in the 200 will help me be faster in the 110s, which is my race.”

Brown ran a season-best in the 110 meter hurdles, finishing in 15.06. He finished right behind freshman John Baldwin, who took second in 15.00. 

“Honestly, the 110 hurdles felt a little rough, but my goal was just to stick with [Baldwin] because he’s been running really well,” Brown said. “This is the fastest I’ve been at this point in the season in both races so that’s really exciting.” 

Baldwin tried out pole vault and the 400 meter hurdles for the first time this season as well. In the hurdles, he finished second in 55.97. Junior David Downey and freshman Kevin Curby finished in 56.83 and 58.30, respectively. Curby’s time was a new personal record by more than a second. 

In pole vault, Baldwin took third behind senior teammate Jared Schipper, who placed first. Schipper cleared 4.72 meters, while Baldwin cleared 3.97 meters. 

Schipper was an All-American in the 2015 and 2016 indoor seasons, and a national qualifier in the 2015 and 2016 outdoor seasons. He holds Hillsdale’s pole vault record with a mark of 5.27 meters, which he set in 2015. 

“I just want to get back to nationals,” Schipper said. 

To help him achieve that goal, freshman teammate Ben Raffin has been pushing him in training. Raffin competed on Saturday, but failed to clear the bar. The two are currently ranked in the top 10 in NCAA Division II. 

“That has made the biggest difference,” Schipper said. “I’m a competitive person so having someone to compete with makes me so much better, and Ben’s fun to practice with.”

In other field events, senior David Chase competed in shot put. He took 20th with a mark of 11.60 meters. In the hammer throw, freshman Kai Panethiere took 20th as well, throwing for 38.48 meters.

Hillsdale’s 4-by-100 meter relay of freshman Jacob Schmidt, seniors Nathan Pando and Levi Wyse, and Schipper, raced to first place in 42.53. Wyse said the race wasn’t quite as smooth as last weekend’s relay. Schmidt had to “twinkle toe” around a runner in the lane next to him who crowded into his lane, according to Wyse.

Schmidt, Wade, Pando, and Wyse teamed up for the 4-by-400 meter relay and ran a season-best of 3:20.57 to come in a very close third place. 

The Chargers head to the University of Cincinnati this weekend for the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational on Friday and Saturday.