Valparaiso University track & field senior Evan Walda (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Southside) put together yet another record-setting run on Thursday, establishing the new program standard in the outdoor 5000 as several Beacon distance runners competed in the GVSU Extra Weekend hosted by Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich.

How It Happened

• Walda stopped the clock in 14:14.43, placing third in a 79-runner field. He outdid his previous personal best and climbed ahead of Aaron Crague in the program record book, breaking a mark of 14:16.10 that had stood since 2003.
• Walda was followed closely by teammate Simeon Ehm (Castle Rock, Colo. / Heritage), who placed fifth of 79 with a time of 14:23.64. Ehm set a PR of his own and boasted the program’s third-best time of all-time, behind only Walda and Crague. Ehm outdid Nate Iben’s 1994 time of 14:28.8 for third in the program record book.
• Freshman Karson Hollander (Crystal Lake, Ill. / Crystal Lake) also raced in the 5000 and placed 27^th of 79 at 15:07.25, setting a PR of his own.
• Other Valpo participants in Thursday’s action include Joseph Scheele (Mahomet, Ill. / Mahomet-Seymour) and Andrew Kerlin (Chicago, Ill. / Marist). Scheele was 14^th in the 3000 steeplechase at 9:37.41, while Kerlin was 34^th of 50 in the 800 at 2:02.47. Both were PRs for those individuals.

Up Next

Valpo will have entries in the ISU Sycamore Open, which will take place on Saturday.