The Valparaiso University men's track and field team competed for the final time prior to the Mid-Continent Conference Championships on Saturday afternoon, splitting the team between the Butler Twilight meet and the Puma Invitational in Rensselaer, Ind.

At Butler, Aaron Crague (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central H.S.) finished in third place out of a field of 51 runners in the 1500m, crossing the line in 3:50.72, just 1.50 seconds out of the lead. Matt Blume (Logansport, Ind./Pioneer H.S.) finished 15th in the 5000m run with a time of 15:08.06 in the distance events as well. In the steeplechase, Doug Brown (Bluffton, Ohio/Allen East H.S.) turned in a sixth place effort with a season's best time of 9:25.37.

On the infield, Joshua Lee (Yellow Jacket, Colo./Monyrxums-Cortez H.S.) turned in a leap of 21'11 ¾" in the long jump to place eighth, while Kristopher Schmautz (Missoula, Mont./Hellgate H.S.) earned a fifth place finish in the javelin with a toss of 178'3".

At St. Joseph's in the Puma Invitational, Wesley Kosko (Emporia, Kan./Emporia H.S.) registered the Brown and Gold's lone victory, doing so in the 100m dash. Kosko broke the tape in a time of 11.68 seconds.

Raphael Awoseyin (Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria/Greater Tomorrow S.S.) finished second in the 200m dash with a time of 23.44 seconds while Jeff Moscinski (Rockford, Ill./Christian Life H.S.) placed the same in the 400m with a time of 51.89 seconds.

David Iott (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger H.S.) was runner-up in the 800m run (1:59.74), while Brian Schultz (Sheboygan, Wis./South H.S.) did the same in the 110 hurdles (16.15).

The Crusaders will take a week off before competing at the Mid-Con Championships on May 15-17 in Macomb, Ill.