Posted: Mar 28, 2015

Huskies Win Five Events in Final Day of Viking Olympics

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Michigan Tech finished off competition at the Viking Olympics at Augustana College Saturday (Mar. 28). Huskies won five events during the day. The men's team finished second of 18 teams at the event. The women were sixth of 17 squads.

The women's team was led by its 4x400 meter relay team of Lauren Raiford, Liz Bloch, Aimee Allen and Jamie Dompier, who posted the second-best time in school history of 3:59.26 to win the event.

Allen was also an event winner by leaping 17-8 in the long jump. Her distance was the sixth best in Tech history.

Dompier earned quite a few team points by taking second in the 100 meters (12.93) and third in the 200 meters (26.25). Her 200 meter time of 26.25 was shy of her own school record, but fifth best in school history.

In the shot put, Jenna Burns took fifth with a throw of 39-5.25 (seventh-best all-time at Tech). Bloch also had a top-five performance in the 800 meters, taking fifth at 2:22.32.

Wins on the men's side came in the 5,000 meters, long jump and decathlon.

Nate Hood had the best performance, coming within a half inch of breaking a 34-year-old school long jump record. He spanned 23-5.5 to win the event by well over one foot.

Gabriel Wykle had an impressive showing for his first career decathlon. He accumulated 6,015 points, becoming just the sixth Husky to ever surpass 6,000 points and winning the event by more than 500 points.

In the 5,000 meters, Calvin Nitz ran the sixth-best time in school history at 15:10.49 to win the event by two seconds.

Jevon Maddox and Isaac Pringle both factored significantly into the team scoring with their performances in the 400 meters and 4x400-meter relay. Maddox was 2nd in 400 at 50.07 while Pringle was three spots back with a 50.62. The two were joined by Zachary Westphal and Benjamin Kramka in the 4x400 relay for a mark of 3:23.61 and 3rd place.

A pair of hurdlers posted top-five finishes. Jacob Jarvis was fourth in the 110 with a 16.39 clocking. Shane McGrath was on pace for a potential school top-10 performance in the 400 hurdles before clipping the final hurdle. He finished in fifth at 55.75.

Corey Zeutzius was third in the 800 meters at 1:57.75. Michael Frahm also placed third, heaving the implement 46-5.25 in the shot put.

Mike Fisher went 6-0.75 in the high jump for fifth place.

"We had a lot of quality performances on the weekend," said Tech coach Joe Haggenmiller. "It was great to see the women's 4x400 relay team and Nate Hood come close to school records. I also thought Gabe Wykle's total over 6,000 in his first full decathlon was impressive.

"Evidently the 5,000 meters has some extra significance here because Calvin got a trophy after winning that event.

"I know we had a lot of athletes who weren't thrilled with their times, but I think the chilly conditions played into that. We have a lot of good results to build upon."

Michigan Tech will be in action again on Friday (Apr. 3) at the St. Norbert Invitational.