Freshman Micah Mullings (Minesing, Ontario, Canada / Barrie North) achieved All-Missouri Valley Conference honors by virtue of his top-three finish in the men’s triple jump, while fifth-year senior Ignacio Veloz Bonilla (San Juan, P.R. / American Military Academy) also scored points in the 800-meter run. The Valparaiso University men’s track & field team exceeded pre-championship poll expectations at the MVC Outdoor Championships, which were hosted by Illinois State in Normal, Ill. and concluded on Sunday.

How It Happened

• Mullings posted a mark of 14.50 meters (47-7) in the triple jump, placing third to garner six points for the Beacons. He shattered his previous personal best and moved into second in program history in the process. He outdid Jarrett Mickens’ 2010 mark of 47-3 for second. This represented Valpo’s best triple jump since Jeff Thomas in 1976 (48-4.25).
• Veloz Bonilla clocked a time of 1:52.16 in the finals of the men’s 800. This helped him place fifth and earn four points for the Brown & Gold.
• Valpo also picked up three points thanks to the 4x100 relay squad of Anthony Vassolo (Tinley Park, Ill. / Andrew), Jason Carpenter (Monroe, Wis. / Monroe), Nathan Wessel (Hartland, Wis. / Lake County Lutheran) and Lukas Sepulveda (Camano Island, Wash. / Stanwood). That quartet finished sixth in 42.87 seconds.
• In the 5000, Simeon Ehm (Castle Rock, Colo. / Heritage) led the Valpo men and placed 12 of 29 at 14:52.14. On the women’s side in that event, Maranda Donahue (Delton, Mich. / Delton-Kellogg) was a top-10 finisher with a time of 17:25.17.
• In the discus, Joe Irons led the Valpo men at 42.29m (138-9), while Tori Gerhardt (Westville, Ind. / Chesterton) topped the Valpo women with a toss of 35.31m (115-10).
• The Valpo men placed eighth of 10 with 24 points, finishing ahead of UIC (16 points) and Evansville (six points). The Beacons were ahead of their projected finish of ninth in the pre-championship poll.
• This marked the first time since joining The Valley that the Valpo men finished ahead of multiple teams at the MVC Outdoor Championships.
• Mullings becomes the sixth Valpo men’s track & field athlete to earn All-MVC honors since the program joined the league prior to the 2018 campaign.