After two weeks off, the Crusader men returned to action on Saturday to take part in the Mastodon Invitational in Fort Wayne, Ind. Despite the extended lay off, the Crusader men found plenty of success on Saturday, capturing a season high of four first-place finishes.

On the track, Adam Bruno captured a first-place finish in the 1-mile run, breaking the tape in 4:29.71. Bruno also finished sixth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:06.65. Teammate Matt Pinnow finished the same event in 2:06.57, a time good for fifth overall.

Valparaiso’s 4x400-meter relay ‘A’ team, also captured a first-place finish with a time of 3:29.07.

Kevin Adamik took second-place in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking in at 9.25. In the distance events, Trace Ostergren finished fourth in the 3000-meter run with a time of 9:05.56 and Michael Salguero finished fourth in the 5000-meter run (16:53.53).

Joe Holy, Chad Brooks, and Mickey Delcambre took third, fourth, and fifth in the 400-meter dash. Holy clocked in at 51.95, while Brooks and Delcambre finished just moments later at 52.15 and 53.98.

Elsewhere on the track, Anthony Franze finished the 60-meter dash in 7.20 – good for third, while Josh Carow finished in sixth (7.43). Franze also took second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.11. In the same race, six other Crusaders finished in the top-ten, including Antwon Hatchett who finished fourth (23.48).

The Crusaders continued to find success in the field events. In the weight throw, Jacob Frey and Jacob Smutz took first and second respectively. Frey threw for 55’0 ¼” and Smutz for 54’3 ¼” – each effort was good for top-five in the Crusaders’ all-time record book. Frey finished his day with a third place finish in the shot put, clearing a distance of 40’7 ½”.

Justin Zosso finished in first place in the pole vault, clearing a height of 14’3 ½”. With the effort, Zosso now sits at the top of the Crusaders’ all-time charts. Brennen Miller and Donald Middlebrook finished second and third in the long jump. Miller cleared 19’4 ½”, and Middlebrook 18’0 ½”.

The Crusader men return to the track on Friday, February 7^th for the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Ind.