The Valparaiso University track and field teams competed at the Redbird Invite, hosted by Illinois State on Saturday despite the elements outdoors in Normal, Ill. The men finished with 100 total points in the team standings, ahead of Butler, Western Illinois and Dayton. SIU Edwardsville was just ahead of the Crusaders with the host Redbirds securing the top spot for both men and women. Junior Peter Rhodes (McLeansville, N.C./Burlington Christian Academy) led the way for Valpo with a runner-up finish in the men’s javelin throw.

How It Happened

• In the hammer throw, senior Andrew Guzek (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) secured a third-place finish with a heave of 168 feet, 7 inches.
• Sophomore Jake Rasawehr (Celina, Ohio/Celina) went 146-5 in the discus, which placed him fourth overall.
• Guzek added a fourth-place finish in the shot put with an effort of 50-0.
• The men’s javelin throw saw three Crusaders in the top four. Rhodes claimed second with a toss of 155-2. Luke Lavendusky finished third with an effort of 142-1 and with a throw of 133-2, junior Zach Topper (Portage, Ind./Portage) wound up fourth.
• Freshman Will Maidment (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock) reached 6-5½ in the high jump, which was good for fifth place.
• In the women’s pole vault, freshman Carli Sowonik (Hebron, Ind./Hebron) placed seventh overall, at a height of 10-6¾.
• For the men, sophomore Jeremy Seiler (Angola, Ind./Fremont) was the top Crusader in the pole vault. His effort reached 14-2½ for a fifth-place finish.
• Senior Brandon Riley (Chicago, Ill./Morgan Park) crossed the finish line fifth in the 400-meter dash in a time of 49.64.
• The 400-meter hurdles saw sophomore Bryce Otterbach (Mendota, Ill./Mendota Township) hold on for a fifth-place finish with a time of 57.14.

Up Next

The Crusaders will head back to the state of Illinois next Saturday, April 21 to participate at the DePaul Invitational in Chicago.