The Valparaiso University track & field teams hosted the Valpo Invitational on Saturday afternoon at Warren G. Hoger Track, the program’s first home meet since 2018. Valpo boasted a plethora of first-place finishes, plus one student-athlete cracked the top 5 in program history in his event and another bettered his own top-5 placement. Milwaukee and Purdue Fort Wayne joined Valpo in the field of competing teams.

How It Happened

• After previously cracking the top 5 in program history earlier this season, TJ Weinzimmer (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) bettered his own mark in the triple jump. He won the event with a personal record of 14.11m (46-3.5), a jump that ranks fifth in program history.
• Another key first-place finish for the men came in the hammer throw with Eddie Juszczak (Lowell, Ind./Lowell) throwing for a distance of 53.49m (175-6), a new career best. He entered the top 5 in program history in that event, usurping the previous fifth-place toss of 174-5 by Isaiah Cook in 2015.
• Brady Southern (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) picked up Valpo’s first win of the day in the 3000m steeple as the sophomore clocked a 10:20.47.  
• In the 1500m run, Valpo claimed the top three spots. Eric Carothers (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) placed first followed by Jack Worman (Hanover Parks, Ill./Hoffman Estates) and Evan Walda (Fort Wayne, Ind./ South Side). Carothers’ time of 3:58.44 narrowly missed the top 5 in program history.
• Emanuel Daggett (Chicago, Ill. / Gavit) claimed an individual win in the 400m dash, clocking a 50.67.
• Ignacio Veloz Bonilla (San Juan, P.R./American Military Academy) followed up with a victory of his own in the 800m run, finishing in 1:54.69, another mark that sits just outside Valpo’s all-time top 5.
• Junior Jared Humphrey (Hobart, Ind./Andrean) had an impressive day, finishing first in the long jump with a distance of 6.55m. He also placed second in the 400m hurdles, crossing the finish line in 58.74.
• Valpo claimed the top four spots in the 5000m run with Simeon Ehm (Castle Rock, Colo./Heritage) taking first at 16:16.96. Teammate Cameron Sheehy (DeMotte, Ind./ Kankakee Valley) placed second followed by teammates Joey Black (O’Fallon, Ill./O’Fallon) and Rylan Dreyer (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South).
• Will Maidment (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock) won the high jump, reaching a height of 1.95m.
• Weinzimmer, Maidment, Nathan Wessel and Daggett placed second in the 4x100m relay to add points to Valpo’s team score.  
• Grace Aurand (Highland, Ind./Highland) led the women with a first-place finish in the 1500m run, finishing in 4:52.35. The freshman also placed third in the 800m run with a 2:24.84 time.
• Joely Overstreet (Genoa, Ill./Genoa-Kingston) placed first in the 5000m run, clocking a 19:27.12 time to pick up the women’s second victory on the day.
• In the hammer throw, Lauren Mikolajczak (Bloomingdale, Ill./Montini Catholic) won the event with a distance of 52.00m. Teammate Michelle Pierce (Indianapolis, Ind./Heritage Christian) placed second with a distance of 46.26m.
• Maranda Donahue (Delton, Mich./Delton-Kellogg) picked up a second-place finish in the 800m run, clocking a 2:23.56 time.
• Valpo men finished second with 228 points and the women also finished second with 128.
  

Up Next 

Valpo will return to action on Saturday, May 7 in the Pacesetter Sports Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind. That will mark the final meet prior to the MVC Outdoor Championships.