MORRIS, Minn. - The second day of the UMAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships saw several Personal Records for the University of Northwestern Men's Track team. They ended the meet in 7th place overall.
DAY 1:
Both UNW runners in the 3000 Steeplechase ran personal best times in their 8th and 10th place finishes. Bennett Selfridge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) finished the race in 10:49.16, shaving 20 seconds off his previous best time. Nate Moser (West Des Moines, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) also took off 13 seconds from his previous record, finishing with a time of 11:21.71.
Three UNW runners competed in the 100-meter dash. Ren Hamann (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) led the Eagles' charge in the event with an 11.49-second race for a 12th-place finish. Will Dorch (Rapid City, S.D./Stevens) ran 11.82, placing 19th. In 30th place, Khai Greene (Buford, Ga./Mill Creek) crossed the finish line in 12.89 seconds. Dorch and Greene also competed in the 200-meter dash. Dorch ran to a 17th-place finish, and Greene finished 27th with times of 24.34 and 26.53, respectively.
In the 400-meter hurdles, Hamann ran a time of 60.27 seconds for a 3rd-place finish. Running in the 800-meter race, Joshua Ringsmuth (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) and Peter Kephart (Lake Nebagamon, Wis./Northwestern) took 6th and 17th place. Ringsmuth finished with a time of 2:03.77, while Kephart finished with a time of 2:15.64.
In the final race of the day, Jacob Weddle (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander), Tyler Dueber (Bloomington, Minn./Homeschool), Samuel Otis (Shoreview, Minn./Homeschool), and Owen Van De Riet (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) raced in the 4x800. With a time of 8:41.47, the Eagles placed 4th in the UMAC.
DAY 2:
Starting the day for the Eagles, Weddle took the track in the fastest heat of the 1500-meter run. He ran a career-best time to secure a 10th-place finish. Joining Weddle in this event, Otis and Kephart finished back to back in 18th and 19th place with times of 4:39.09 and 4:41.08, respectively. Kephart's time of 4:41 was the fastest he has ever run the event, as he took almost 7 seconds off his previous fastest time.
In the 400, Ringsmuth and Hamann both set new personal records. Ringsmuth finished with a time of 51.95 seconds in 9th place overall. Hamann got off to a quick start in the race and ran the lap in 54.52 seconds for a 17th-place finish.
For the longest event of the day, four Eagle runners braved the heat and the distance for 10th, 12th, 13th, and 18th place finishes. Dueber led the charge for UNW and ran all 5000 meters in 17:04.34. Selfridge and Van De Riet placed one after the other with times of 17:18.08 and 17:30.10. Van De Riet's time of 17:30.10 was a personal record and 7 seconds faster than his previous best. Moser also competed in the 5000-meter race and turned in a time of 18:14.61.
The final event of the day hosted Dorch, Ringsmuth, Weddle, and Kephart in the 4x400-meter relay. The team placed 7th with a time of 3:42.32.
The Men's Team will conclude its outdoor season at the NCCAA National Championships next weekend in Columbia, South Carolina. The first event will begin at 10:00 AM on Friday, May 7th.
