A podium finish by junior Ethan Litavecz (Highland, Ind. / Highland) in the men’s javelin led the way for the Valparaiso University track & field team on Friday’s opening day of the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships, hosted by Indiana State at Gibson Track & Field Complex in Terre Haute, Ind. Litavecz earned Outdoor All-MVC honors and was one of three point-scorers for the Beacons on the opening day of action. In addition, a pair of distance runners shattered program records on Friday.

How It Happened

• Litavecz finished third of 17 to medal in the javelin, completing a compelling journey that saw him come back from an ACL injury and decide to focus on the javelin after previously competing in the decathlon. He continued his special season in that event with a mark of 55.75m (182-11) to earn six points for the Beacons.
• Valpo grabbed a total of nine points in the javelin as Brian Sponaugle (Milton, De. / Mariner) delivered a PR of 54.14m (177-7) to place sixth in the 17-athlete field. That showing accounted for three more points in the team standings.
• Valpo’s other point scorer came in the distance as Evan Walda (Fort Wayne, Ind. / South Side) shattered the program record in the outdoor 10,000 with a time of 29:57.61. He outdid the previous standard of 30:24.58 that was set by Dominic Paoletti in 2021. Walda previously ranked second in program history in that event as he improved his previous PR of 30:48.08 from the 2023 Raleigh Relays. Walda placed sixth of 19, scoring three points for the team.
• Walda wasn’t the only Valpo distance man to rewrite a program record on Friday in Terre Haute. In the prelims of the men’s 1500, Simeon Ehm (Castle Rock, Colo. / Heritage) turned in a qualifying time of 3:49.57. In the process, he shattered his previous PR and moved past a program record that had stood since 2001 when Nate Nunnelly posted a time of 3:49.68.
• The Valpo men finished Day 1 of action in sixth of 10 with 12 points.
• The Valpo women received several PRs, including Rhena Kiger (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point), who tossed the javelin 32.47 meters (106-6). Other PRs on the women’s side included Kai Dilosa (Merrillville, Ind. / Lake Central) in the prelims of the 400 hurdles at 1:09.24, Vivian Rahmel (Springfield, Ill. / Sacred Heart-Griffin) in the prelims of the 1500 at 4:58.78 and Taylor Pusateri (Portage, Ind. / Portage) in the prelims of the 200 at 25.94 seconds.

Up Next

The second day of the MVC Outdoor Championships is slated for Saturday. Action will begin at 9 a.m. CT and the live broadcast on ESPN+ will start at 4:15 p.m. CT. Links to live video and results are available on ValpoAthletics.com.