COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The University of Northwestern Men's Track and Field team continued to build and fine-tune each athlete toward peak condition for the 2026 indoor Championship at the end of February, with several athletes competing in multiple new events as they worked to establish opening marks across the board.
Samuel Otis (Shoreview, Minn./Homeschool) delivered another standout performance, competing in four different events. Otis recorded the top placement of the meet for the Eagles in his 600 meter race, recording his first personal record of the day with a fourth-place finish in 1:32.62. He later returned to the track for the 200-meter, marking his shortest race in a UNW uniform. He finished 13th with a time of 27.22 seconds. Otis also made his collegiate debut in the shot put, placing ninth with a throw of 9.06 meters (29'8.75"), and competed in the long jump, finishing ninth with a leap of 4.63 meters (15'2.25").
In the sprints, John Shevchuk (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) continued to find his speed as he led the Eagles in the 60 meters, running a season-best 7.29 seconds to place ninth, this new season best ties him for fourth in the UMAC standings. He also paced Northwestern in the 400 meters, finishing seventh with a time of 53.64 seconds. Shevchuk's time was just .49 seconds off his personal best, but still places him fifth in the UMAC. Also turning in a career day of his own, Will Dorch (Rapid City, S.D./Stevens) broke his personal record in the 60 meters by .11 seconds to finish 17th in 7.54 seconds. Dorch then capped the day with a season-best 24.79 finish in the 200 meters. Rounding out the Eagles in the 60 meters, for the first time in his collegiate career, was Cody Johnson (Cottage Grove, Minn./New Life Academy). He finished 20th in 7.60 seconds. Johnson also took part in the long jump alongside Otis, where he jumped a distance of 5.44 meters (17'10.25"). Leading the leapers in the long jump event, Reid Jelks (South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul) leaped to a fifth-place finish with a distance of 5.48 meters (17'11.75") for his first collegiate track and field event.
Joshua Ringsmuth (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) and Peter Kephart (Lake Nebagamon, Wis./Northwestern) faced a quick turnaround between events, racing the 400 meters and returning just 45 minutes later for the 600. Ringsmuth clocked a season-best 55.63 in the 400 to place 12th, then followed it up with a seventh-place finish in the 600 meters in 1:40.09. Kephart finished 15th in the 400 meters with a time of 58.41 before crossing the line in the 600 just 0.9 seconds behind Ringsmuth.
In the middle distances, Caleb Phillips (Poplar, Wis./South Shore) led the Eagles in the 1000 meters with a seventh-place finish and a time of 2:57.80. Tyler Dueber (Bloomington, Minn./Homeschool) followed closely behind in eighth, just .26 seconds back, while Owen Van De Riet (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) placed ninth in 3:03.49. All three athletes doubled back in the mile, joined by Cody Mercado (Arden Hills, Minn./Fourth Baptist Christian School). Dueber led the group with an eighth-place finish in 4:55.13, while Phillips and Van De Riet finished 11th and 12th with times of 4:59.22 and 5:10.83, respectively. Mercado closed out the event in 14th place, crossing the line in 6:40.25.
The Eagles will continue their early-season progression as they look to add marks and build momentum heading deeper into the indoor campaign beginning next Saturday, February 7, when they compete at the Gopher Classic inside the Minnesota Fieldhouse, with the first event scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM.
