The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s track and field competed at the Fort Wayne Duals Saturday. The Crusader men defeated Butler, Detroit and IUPUI to finish the day with a perfect 3-0 record, while the women beat Butler and IUPUI. The Valpo men had four first-place finishes in field events and the women posted one top finish on the track.

How It Happened

• For the men, junior thrower Andrew Guzek took home two first-place finishes. In the weight throw, he ended with a mark of 57’7” and in shot put, he had a tally of 46’3 1/4".
• Junior pole vaulter Alexander Watson cleared the bar at 14’5 1/4" to earn first place, coming within inches of his second-place mark on the Crusader all-time best list. Watson led the Valpo trio which finished 1-2-3 in the event.
• Junior jumper Montel Hall leaped 44’3 1/4' in the triple jump to finish in first place, which landed him in the Valpo record book in fifth place in Crusader history for the event.
• The Valpo men also earned a pair of second-place showings on the track, as junior Ben Zibricky was the runner-up in the 800m run (1:57.35) and senior Max Morello crossed the line second in the 5,000m run (15:56.85).
• For the women, senior Liz Owen ran a 2:17.64 in the 800m race to earn the top spot to lead the Crusaders. Owen was just a few seconds off of her own PR in the event, which ranks second in Valpo history.
• Sophomores Nellie Bonham and Abby Jankowski earned second and third place finishes, respectively, in both the shot put and weight throw. Bonham posted throws of 39’8 3/4" in shot and a 43’11” in the weight throw. Jankowski tossed the shot 37’4”, and a 43’9” in the weight throw.

Next Up

The Crusaders travel to Allendale, Mich. on Saturday, Jan. 28 for the Grand Valley State University Lints Alumni Meet.