Four Beacons Crack Program Record Book at Bradley

Friday, October 14, 2022

Ignacio Veloz Bonilla turned in the second-best 8K time in program history on Friday.

The Valparaiso University cross country programs garnered significant momentum in advance of the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference Championships by virtue of a strong showing at the Bradley Pink Classic, the final meet prior to the conference championship, which was hosted at Newman Golf Course in Peoria on Friday. The Beacons posted a slew of personal records including four entries into the program record book.

How It Happened

Ignacio Veloz Bonilla (San Juan, P.R. / American Military Academy) led the Valpo men by finishing the 8K in 24:39.1, good for 75^th in a large and competitive field. His time not only represented a personal best, but moved him up to second in program history. He bumped Aaron Crague’s 2001 time of 24:55 from the top-2 and finished second to only Alexander Bruno’s 2018 program record of 24:23.
Veloz Bonilla was followed closely by Simeon Ehm (Castle Rock, Colo. / Heritage), who checked in second on the team with a time of 24:48.3. That mark ranks third in program history behind the aforementioned performances by Bruno and Veloz Bonilla.
A third Beacon cracked the program’s all-time top-10 in the men’s race as Evan Walda (Fort Wayne, Ind. / South Side) finished in 25:00.2. His time ranks seventh in program lore.
Veloz Bonilla, Ehm and Walda were among the many Valpo men who established personal records. Freshman Joseph Scheele (Scheele / Mahomet, Ill. / Mahomet-Seymour) also had a personal best at 25:23.3, as did Sean Curran (Plainfield, Ill. / Plainfield North) at 26.28.5, Cameron Sheehy (DeMotte, Ind. / Kankakee Valley) at 26:28.7, Rylan Dreyer (Downers Grove, Ill. / Downers Grove South) at 26:46.0 and Alex Valerio (Rockford, Ill. / Boylan Catholic) at 27:36.5. Another solid time came courtesy of Eric Carothers (Fishers, Ind. / Hamilton Southeastern) at 25:02.5.
The women’s program record book also received a new entry on Friday in Peoria. After clocking a time of 22:28.6 in the 6K, Grace Aurand (Highland, Ind. / Highland) now ranks sixth in program history in that event. She paced the Valpo women with the program’s fastest 6K since Liz Bloy at the 2014 Horizon League Championship.
Ellie Roeglin (Delafield, Wis. / Lake County Lutheran) checked in at 23:10.3, followed by Kaitlynn Leady (Chesterton, Ind. / Chesterton) at 23:37.5. Both of them achieved PRs, as did Alina Worzella (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville) at 23:58.6.
In the men’s “white” (B) race, William Neupert (Beloit, Wis. / Turner) led the team with a PR of 27:15. Ben Fields (Westville, Ill. / Victory Christian) finished in 27:43.7, Brian Sponaugle (Milton, De. / Mariner) at 28:05.5 and Marek Potuznik (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd) at 29:29.3 – all setting PRs as well.
The Valpo men finished 16th of 35 in the team scoring, finishing ahead of five MVC foes.
Click here for full results.