WASHINGTON, Pa.—Despite unseasonably brisk weather, the Franciscan University track and field team pushed themselves to a new level of competition on Saturday at the Washington and Jefferson Invitational, securing two new school records and eleven personal bests.
"In the face of a lot of bad weather, it would have been good to have mediocre performances," said head coach Vince Oliver, "but we were far from mediocre. The day was phenomenal for Baron Athletics."
On the men's team, the outstanding personal performances included those of Bill Jones, David Willems, Michael Gotta, Jack Kaiser, Nathaniel Chase, and Peter Amrien. Jones placed second in the 5K, breaking the meet record of 14:45 and the previous school record of 15:01 with a time of 14:37.63. Jones is now ranked first in the nation and provisionally qualified for the national championship.
But Jones' hard work does not stand alone, notes Oliver, "His success is a reflection of the rest of the team, and the other ten personal records attest to that."
Some of the other personal bests that shone were Willems' 35:30.56 in the 10K, Gotta's 3K steeplechase time of 10:37.49, Kaiser's 1,500-meter run (4:11.93), Chase's javelin throw of 44.92, and Amrien's 25.30 in the 200-meter dash. Tim Michaud also earned points for the team with his fifth place javelin throw of 49.62 meters.
Stand out Lady Baron performances of the day included Sara Mueller's sixth place finish for a personal record of 5:04.13 in the 1,500-meter run, and Kaitlyn Hoffman's new school record in the 200-meter dash of 29.09. Other Lady Barons who also achieved personal records included Elizabeth Brockway with a 30.00 in the 20-meter dash, Molly Chambers' steeplechase time of 13:09.27, and Elena Luke's long jump of 4.51 meters.
The track and field team will split up for the next competition, attending the Westminster College Invitational and All-Ohio Championships at Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday, April 14, with the hope for continued improvement.
"These are extraordinary young men and women serving an extraordinary mission," added Oliver. As the rest of the season plays out, he is confident that the team's attitude will reflect their dedication to the sport and the University.
