The Valparaiso University track & field team made its annual trip to Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. to compete in the Bill Clinger Classic, which began on Friday. Tori Gerhardt (Westville, Ind. / Chesterton) finished as the runner-up in the weight throw, while Micah Mullings (Minesing, Ontario, Canada / Barrie North) did the same in the triple jump. Both were among the Beacons who established new personal bests.

How It Happened

• Gerhardt finished second in a 34-athlete field in the women’s weight throw, uncorking a personal-record heave of 15.66 meters (51-5). She also had Valpo’s top performance in the shot put at 10.81m (35-5.5), finishing 15^th of 38 in that event.
• It was a big day for Mullings in the triple jump as he too garnered a runner-up performance by outdoing 16 of his 17 competitors in that event. He cleared a height of 13.81m (45-3.75) to establish a new PR. The freshman also placed eighth of 20 in the high jump at 1.90m (6-2.75).
• Valpo boasted a pair of top-5 finishers in an 18-runner field in the women’s 5,000. Joely Overstreet (Genoa, Ill. / Genoa-Kingston) and Ellie Roeglin (Delafield, Wis. / Lake County Lutheran) both authored new PRs, with Overstreet placing fourth in 18:33.15 and Roeglin in fifth at 18:39.05.
• Several PRs fell in the sprints and hurdles as well, including Lukas Sepulveda (Camano Island, Wash. / Stanwood) in the men’s 200. He placed 19^th of 78 thanks to a PR of 22.93 seconds. In the women’s 60 hurdles, Rhena Kiger (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) had a PR of 10.14 to finish 13^th out of 22.
• In the men’s throws, a collection of four Beacons finished in the top 10 in the weight. Jeremiah Johnson (Zion, Ill. / Benton) was at the forefront of that quartet with a toss of 14.23m (46-8) to finish fifth of 26. Not far behind was Will Rinker (Valparaiso, Ind. / Chesterton), whose throw covered 14.13m (46-4), good for sixth.
• The men also boasted a pair of top-10 finishers in the shot put, led by Josh Leathers (Streamwood, Ill. / Streamwood) at 12.48m (40-11.25), which placed eighth. He was followed closely by Rinker at 12.31 (40-4.75), ninth.
• The men’s pole vault saw Tristan Malatlian (Pfafftown, N.C. / Reagan) lead the way at 4.65m (15-3) as he finished sixth of 16. In the long jump, it was Gavin Shaefer (Lake Saint Louis, Mo. / Timberland) posting the top mark by a Beacon at 5.84m (19-2), allowing him to place 13^th.
• Freshman Alina Worzella (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville) put together a strong showing in the women’s mile, finishing sixth in a 48-runner field. She stopped the clock in 5:25.11.
• In the mid-distance, Isabella Smith (Chesterton, Ind. / Chesterton) was in the top half of the 400 field by finishing in 1:01.93 to place 19^th of 44. Anthony Vassolo (Tinley Park, Ill. / Andrew) led the team in that event on the men’s side with a time of 52.57 seconds (32^nd of 63).
• The women’s 800 saw Maranda Donahue (Delton, Mich. / Delton-Kellogg) finish in 2:21.39 to place 14^th of 63.

Up Next

Grand Valley State’s Bill Clinger Classic will conclude on Saturday in Allendale, Mich. Links to live results and video via FloSports are available on ValpoAthletics.com.