Tech T&F to Compete at Phil Esten Challenge this Weekend
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Fresh off a quality weekend of competition in Iowa, the Michigan Tech track & field squads travel to La Crosse, Wisconsin, for its final regular season meet of the year at the Phil Esten Challenge hosted by UW-La Crosse.
Friday serves as a multi event day for most teams competing, with the evening track session showcasing Isaac Steers and Cedar Gordon in the 10,000m. The rest of the Huskies will compete Saturday with throwing events starting at 1 p.m., field events at 2 p.m. and running events at 3 p.m. with the 5,000m–an event that features 14 for the Black & Gold.
A live stream and live results of the meet can be found here.
Last Time Out
The Huskies most recently traveled to Cedar Rapids for the Mustang Distance Carnival & Open hosted by Mount Mercy.
In total, Michigan Tech claimed 12 meet/facility records over two days. Kyle Samluk dipped under the meet and facility records in the 3,000m steeplechase Friday night in a season's best 9:28.64 to win the event.
The pole vault squad also left their names in Mount Mercy's record book with Landon Cosby's winning mark of 15-01, breaking the meet and facility record. Toby Bonner and Jesse Henderson also had marks bettering the previous meet record with vaults of (14-09). Anna Schueller broke the meet record, winning the women's pole vault in 10-11.75.
The Huskies also saw meet and facility records in the 5,000m with personal-bests from Sophia Rhein (17:38.10) to take second as Donavan Mattson had a similar result, taking second in the men's race, dipping under 15 flat for the first time, clocking 14:51.34. The Black & Gold saw promise from its men's mega pack. Following Mattson, five additional Huskies went sub 15:20, with Kenny Abraham also clocking his first sub 15 5,000m, running 14:57.70.
Sam Lange earned two meet and facility records following wins in the 1,500m elite section Friday night and the 800m elite section on Saturday. He set a season's best time of 3:52.51, winning the race by almost a second and a half. Nik Thomas was close behind, dipping under the previous meet and facility records, smashing his personal-best running 3:54.49.
Lange returned Saturday, taking his second win of the meet, dipping under 1:55, leading a trio under the previous meet record with his winning time of 1:54.81. Brandon Latta clocked 1:56.07, while John Paul Norland threw down a 1:55.13 personal-best to win the open section of the men's 800m. Four additional Huskies ran personal-bests in the open sections in first year Connor Stefanovsky (1:56.77), Ben Conlin (1:57.06), Nik Thomas (1:57.34) and Lucas Seng (1:57.84).
TOP-EIGHT GLIAC MARKS (WOMEN)
High Jump - Jamie Hendrickson 5-3 (5th)
Pole Vault - Anna Schueller 11-10 (6th)
Javelin - Allie Moffit 92-3 (8th)
TOP-EIGHT GLIAC MARKS (MEN)
400m - Ryan Schwiderson 49.49 (4th)
800m - Sam Lange 1:54.81 (7th)
800m - John Paul Norland 1:55.13 (8th)
1,500m - Sam Lange 3:52.51 (6th)
1,500m - Nik Thomas 3:54.49 (7th)
3,000m steeplechase - Kyle Samluk 9:28.64 (3rd)
3,000m steeplechase - Callen Carrier 9:33.90 (5th)
Pole Vault - Landon Cosby 16-1.25 (5th)
Discus - Max Messina 140-5 (8th)
Javelin - Toby Bonner 150-1 (7th)