Four different athletes combined for six event victories as the Valparaiso men's track and field team continued the 2012 indoor season Saturday at the IPFW Quadrangular in Fort Wayne, Ind., facing off against Oakland and Detroit in addition to the host Mastodons.

Sophomore Julian Smith (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice) accounted for a pair of the Crusaders' event victories on the track on Saturday. Smith qualified fastest for the finals of the 60m dash with a time of 7.01 seconds and nearly matched it in the finals, finishing in 7.02 seconds. He also easily earned the win in the 200m dash with a time of 23.09 seconds. Freshman Nick Kowaleski (Lockbourne, Ohio/Grove City) was the runner-up behind Smith in both events, posting times of 7.09 seconds and 23.09 seconds in the 60m and 200m dashes, respectively.

In the distance events, it was junior Wally Bradford (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) who came home first in the 3,000m run with a time of 8:48.76, while senior Nick Fagan (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) took top honors in the 5,000m run, crossing the line in 15:53.04. Freshman David Rutkowski (Cedarburg, Wis./Living Word Lutheran) earned podium placement in the 3K with a time of 9:13.99, good for third place, a finish matched by freshman Eric Hickok (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) in the 5K, who crossed the line in 16:20.05.

Valpo's other two event victories came on the infield Saturday. Sophomore Sean Carey (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) took first place in the pole vault by clearing a bar set at 11'11 3/4”. Smith picked up his third top placement of the day, showcasing his versatility with the win in the long jump, leaping 21'9 1/2”.

Three different Crusaders also earned second-place finishes in the field events as well. Freshman Cy Badertscher (Janesville, Wis./Joseph A. Craig) took second place in the triple jump with a mark of 42'11 1/4”. The throws saw freshman Jacob Frey (St. Paul, Minn./Roseville Area) earn a runner-up placement with an effort of 44'8 1/2” in the shot put, while junior Alex Rixon (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) placed second in the weight throw with a toss of 51'9 1/4”.

Valparaiso has a pair of meets on the docket next weekend. Select athletes will compete at the Meyo Invitational in Notre Dame, Ind., a two-day meet which begins on Friday, Feb. 3, while the Crusaders will also return to Fort Wayne to take part in the Mastodon Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 4.