MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.- After getting off to a strong start in the 2024 indoor track and field season last weekend, the University of Northwestern Men's Track and Field team continued to challenge themselves on Saturday. The Eagles competed in the Gopher Classic hosted by the University of Minnesota and squared off with extremely talented competition.

• Full Meet Results

Freshman Jah'Kiing Joseph (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Heritage) made a splash in his first collegiate meet a week ago when he finished the 60M Dash in 7.23 seconds. On Saturday, he nearly matched that mark by finishing the sprint in 7.26 seconds in the prelims round. John Shevchuk (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) also competed in the 60M Dash and finished with an identical time as his freshman teammate, which was his best of the young season. Ashton Lofton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Springs Christian) and Michael Pough Jr. (Jacksonville, Fla./Joshua Christian Academy) also ran in the 60M Prelims with Lofton finishing in 7.78 seconds and Pough Jr. in 8.77.
Shevchuk and Lofton also represented Northwestern in the 200M Dash finals. Shevchuk, who's career best time is 23.36 seconds, finished at 24.95 seconds. Lofton, making his Eagle running debut, finished the 200m in 26.91 seconds.

Joshua Ringsmuth (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) and John Thomas III (St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo) were the duo of Eagles who competed in the 600M race. Ringsmuth led the way by crossing the finish line in 1:34.67 and Thomas III came in at 1:45.60. Ringsmuth was the lone Eagle who ran the Mile race and he nearly cracked the five minute milestone finishing at 5:01.98.

Nathan Eikom (Eagan, Minn./Homeschool) competed in a pair of long distance events. The senior finished the 800M Run in 2:10.79 and the 3000M Run in 10:36.34. Owen Van De Riet (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) joined Eikom in the 3000M and came in just behind him with a time of 10:47.02.

The Eagles' furious pace to start their indoor season continues a week from Saturday (February 10^th) at the Maday Classic hosted by fellow UMAC institution Wisconsin-Superior.