The Valparaiso University track and field teams hosted the Crusader Invite at Warren G. Hoger Track on Saturday. Despite the chilly temperatures, both the men and women secured team victories on Senior Day. The men topped a field of five teams with 290 total points, while the women prevailed with 180 points. The Crusaders accounted for 19 individual wins, including two each from senior Andrew Guzek (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) and junior Nellie Bonham (Palos Hills, Ill./Stagg), both claiming victories in the shot put and hammer throw.

How It Happened

• In the women’s 100-meter dash, sophomore Jordan Houlihan (Hickory Hills, Ill./Amos Alonzo Stagg) crossed the line in 13.88 for second place.
• Senior Allison Baylor (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) recorded a 1:06.51 in the women’s 400-meter dash, coming in second.
• With a time of 2:31.09, Kate Mitchell (Algonquin, Ill./Huntley) wound up second in the women’s 800-meter run.
• Bonham grabbed her first win in the shot put with an effort of 38 feet, 7 inches.
• In the women’s discus throw, freshman Lauren Mikolajczak (Bloomingdale, Ill./Montini Catholic) was the runner-up with her effort of 106-10.
• Bonham’s second triumph came in the hammer throw, where her toss was recorded at 139-5.
• In the women’s javelin throw, sophomore Anne Mou (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park) won the event with an effort of 100-5.
• Senior James Sampson (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) was the fastest in the men’s 100-meter dash, crossing the line first with a time of 11.16.
• The men’s 200-meter dash saw freshman Da’Quan Harrell (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) edge the runner-up by four hundredths of a second in a time of 22.76 for the win.
• Crossing the finish line in a time of 49.55, senior Brandon Riley (Chicago, Ill./Morgan Park) won the men’s 400-meter dash.
• Freshman Dominic Paoletti (Monroe, Mich./Monroe St. Mary) finished second in the longest race of the day, the 5000-meter run. He was clocked at 15:22.66.
• The men’s 400-meter hurdles race was won by sophomore Bryce Otterbach (Mendota, Ill./Mendota Township) in a time of 57.89.
• Sophomore Jeremy Seiler (Angola, Ind./Fremont) claimed the top spot in the men’s pole vault, reaching a height of 14-10.
• With a distance measured at 21-8, junior Collin McCullough (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) was the runner-up in the men’s long jump.
• Guzek had the farthest shot-put heave, recorded at 47-9¾ for his first win on the day.
• In the men’s discus, sophomore Jake Rasawehr (Celina, Ohio/Celina) won the event by over 14 feet with an effort of 154-10.
• The second victory for Guzek came in the hammer throw. His toss was marked at 166-8.
• The men’s javelin was won by junior Peter Rhodes (McLeansville, N.C./Burlington Christian Academy) with a distance of 159-7.

Up Next

The Crusaders will spend the next week getting ready for the Missouri Valley Conference Championships hosted by Indiana State in Terre Haute, Ind. from May 11–13.