Rebekah Smith
The Titan Track and Field teams traveled to the Greenville College Invitational on Saturday, April 5. The warmer weather helped the men’s and women’s teams place fifth and third.
Junior Meridith Beird took third place with a height of 10’11/75” in the pole vault. With a distance of 16’10.5” sophomore Jill Harmon took second place in the long jump. Harmon also took second place in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.50 seconds.
With a time of 1:02.84, junior Allie Boudreau secured a second place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, and senior Chloe Staub took second place in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:42.42.
Sophomore Amanda Macuiba was the first to the finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:12.29. “Some people weren’t ecstatic about their performances, sure, but we also had some people come out and kill it,” said Macuiba. “Overall it was a fun meet in the middle of nowhere!”
With a lightning fast time of 12.55, sophomore Nia Joiner took first place in the 100-meter dash. “The weather was much better this past weekend and we had some great performances to go along with it,” said Joiner. “Outdoor season is starting off strong and it’ll be exciting to see what’s to come.”
The women’s 4×100-meter relay team of junior Lexia Swope, sophomore Angela Hermann, junior Kristen Johnson and Nia Joiner took second place with a time of 49.15.
With a time of 4:00.26 the women’s 4×400-meter relay team of first-year Maddison Zimmer, Angela Herrmann, junior Morgan Random, and Allie Boudreau finished in second place.
Senior Joey Pacione took first place in the triple jump with a distance of 44’05.5. Senior Aaron Smith ran a 4:00.5 1,500-meter run to bring home the win.
“Despite the relatively chilly spring so far, Titan track is not willing to roll over. Everyone else is running and practicing in the same conditions we are,” said Smith. “We’re working hard so that we can show up to compete and be better. This team is full of athletes hungry for success. Good things are coming.”
Senior Ben Becker finished in second place in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:12.83, followed by seniors Mark Giannis and Nate Evans in third and fourth.
“This meet had fantastic weather for distance events, and it seriously could not have been better. Every single distance person who stepped on the track had a PR,” said Becker. “Mark Giannis, Sean Ryan, and I all had huge PR’s but this was all put to shame by Chloe’s performance in the 5k.”
The Titans will travel to Lisle, Illinois on Saturday, April 12 for the Benedictine University Invite. Every IWU track and field athlete is ecstatic about what the remainder of their outdoor season will bring.