The Valparaiso University track & field team competed at Indiana State’s Sycamore Open on Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind., closing out the regular season at the same location where the Beacons will compete in the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships in two weeks.

How It Happened

• In the high jump, Micah Mullings (Minesing, Ontario, Canada / Barrie North) took the top spot with a leap of 1.85m (6-0.75) to win the event. Elsewhere in the hurdles/jumps, Chaise Magnuson (LaPorte, Ind. / LaPorte) finished the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.61, finishing in the upper half of the field at fifth of 11.
• The Beacons boasted two of the top three in the javelin in a 14-athlete field. Ethan Litavecz (Highland, Ind. / Highland) was the runner-up at 51.21 meters (168-0), while Brian Sponaugle (Milton, De. / Mariner) established a PR with a distance of 51.01m (167-4), placing third.
• Elsewhere in the men’s throws, Nate Smith (Lake Station, Ind. / Lake Station) led the team in both the shot put and discus. His shot put of 14.09m (46-2.75) was fifth of 12, while his discus heave of 45.09m (147-11) represented a PR and ranked eighth of 18. Josh Leathers (Streamwood, Ill. / Streamwood) finished in the top half of the field in the hammer, placing eight of 17 at 45.03m (147-9), a personal best.
• In the pole vault, Tristan Malatlian (Pfafftown, N.C. / Reagan) used a season-best of 4.58m (15-0.25) to place third.
• In the women’s sprints, Juliana Ferrara (Fox River Grove, Ill. / Cary Grove) led the team in both the 100 and 200. She posted a PR of 12.70 seconds in the 100, placing seventh of 18. In the 200, she was sixth of 24 with a time of 25.78 seconds.
• In the men’s sprints, it was Tim Whitelaw (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) who finished in the upper half of the field in both the 100 and 200. He clocked a time of 10.93 seconds in the 100, placing sixth of 20. In the 200, his time of 22.16 seconds helped him finish seventh of 23.
• In the women’s throws, Tori Gerhardt (Westville, Ind. / Chesterton) turned in a season-best 11.87m (378-11.5) for a fifth-place finish in the shot put to go along with a season-best discus toss of 37.70m (123-8) that helped her finish second of nine in that event.
• In the javelin, Rhena Kiger (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) finished fifth thanks to a PR of 30.34m (99-6). In the hammer, Lena Luebbering (Heyworth, Ill. / Heyworth) had a season best at 43.80m (143-4).  

Up Next

The Beacons will compete in the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships from May 10-12 in Terre Haute, Ind. The meet will air on ESPN+ with a link to live video and results available on ValpoAthletics.com.