Saturday, January 20, 2007

Chris Honig (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard South [Indiana]) led a 1-2-3-4 finish for the Crusaders in the mile run Saturday at the Chicago Invitational, helping Valpo to a fourth place team finish.

Valpo recorded 78 points as a team, just two points behind Illinois Wesleyan for third place overall. Augustana College took the team title with 163 points.

Honig crossed the line in the mile run in 4:30.70 for the win. Right behind Honig was Rich Krupar III (Elyria, Ohio/Midview), who came home in 4:32.52. Leandro Schultz (Valley View, Ohio/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) took third with a time of 4:33.31, while Jim Turchyn (Batesville, Ind./Batesville) completed the race in 4:33.46 for a fourth-place finish.

Honig was a multiple event winner on the day, also taking top honors in the 3,000m run, breaking the tape in 8:58.21. Tom Heun (Brecksville, Ohio/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) was the only other Crusader to register a top-five finish on the track, finishing fourth in the 55m hurdles with a time of 8.39 seconds.

Steve Bartholomew (Valparaiso, Ind./Morgan Township) earned victory in the weight throw with a personal-best toss of 55'2 ¾", the second-best effort in the event in Valpo history. Eric Smith (Portage, Ind./Portage) finished third in the same event with a throw of 45'10 ½", also improving on his personal-best and moving into fifth in Crusader history. Smith also earned a second-place finish in the shot put with a mark of 42'6 ¾".

The Crusaders also registered two top-five finishes in the pole vault. Philip Lohrmann (Battle Ground, Wash./Battle Ground [Clark C.C.] cleared a height of 12'10 ¼" for a third-place finish, while Caleb Meyer (Seward, Neb./Seward) finished right behind Lohrmann in fourth place with a successful attempt at 12'4 ½".

Valparaiso returns to action next Friday and Saturday, the 26th and 27th, as the Crusaders travel to Findlay, Ohio to take part in the Findlay Invitational. The meet begins Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. Central time.