LOUISVILLE, Ky.--The Bellarmine University men's and women's track teams competed at three different meets this weekend. Bellarmine had 13 athletes compete at the Grand Valley State “Big Meet”. It was one of the largest indoor meets in the country. They had 38 universities participating with over 2000 athletes. Michigan and Michigan State were just two of numerous D-I schools at the meet.

Bellarmine sent 32 athletes to the IU Hoosier Hills meet. IU, ranked #4 in the nation and Big East power Marquette were two of the 10 schools competing at that meet.

Finally, Bellarmine sent 25 athletes to compete at the DePauw Invitational. This was one of the premier small schools meet in the Midwest this past weekend.

Between the three meets, the team set eight new school records (four by the women and four by the men) and two new freshmen school records.

Grand Valley Meet

Over 60 collegiate T&F programs from 15 states as far away as Colorado and California descended on Grand Rapids, MI this past weekend, February 11-12th, for one of the nation's largest indoor T&F competitions. The "Big Meet" hosted by Grand Valley State University, as well as Indiana University's Hoosier Hills meet on Friday evening plus Depauw University's Invite on Saturday afternoon provided the settings for the Bellarmine Track & Field squad's strongest weekend of indoor performances to date.

Sophomore Angela Musk's strong lead leg (1200 meters - 3:37.6) set up the women's distance medley relay for their school indoor best and NCAA qualifying performance. The quartet of long sprint-middle distance athletes produced a mark of 12:02.05, well under the NCAA provisional standard (12:16.10) in Division II, putting them in a good position to warrant a spot to the NCAA Indoor National Championship later in March. Musk was followed on the relay by Kristin Hamrick (Cincinnati) 400/58.4r, Carissa Martin (New Albany, IN) 800/2:18.5r, and Meghan Shagena (Cincinnati) 1600/5:07.5r.

Musk returned to the track only hours after the DMR to run the highly competitive mile run at Grand Valley. She earned a fifth in that event running a team and personal best of 5:03.95. That effort not only gave Musk a mile time that ranks among the nation's 30 best Division II efforts this indoor season, but also gave her one of the school's best ever "same day doubles."

"(Angela) continues to give us more and more every weekend," said women's distance coach Kris Horton. "Her 1200 split was impressive, a full seven-plus seconds under five minute mile pace. We're not sure where this is going to end with her. She keeps getting better, and it's been a surprisingly pleasant 'ride' so far."

A youthful women's 4x400 relay (two freshman and two sophomores) lowered the indoor school best a whopping 9 seconds in capturing an impressive fourth place overall finish at the Grand Valley meet. Sophomore Kristin Hamrick, producing her second 58 second relay leg of the day (58.9r), anchored the squad to a 3:58.34 clocking. She was joined by freshman Maddie Roark (Flatwoods, KY), who led off with a 60.6r leg, followed by fellow first year sprinter, Meghan Jones, 59.1r (Greenville, IN), and sophomore Molly Culbertson, 59.6r (Mason, OH).

Sophomore sprinters, Rachel Eyckmans (Villa Hills, KY), and Will Saucer (Evansville, IN), earned fifth place finishes in their, respective, sprint races in the large race fields at Grand Valley. Eyckmans produced an easy heat win, and continued to lower her school best in the short sprints, with a 7.90 mark for 60 meters. Saucer, earned a school and indoor best for 200 meters, with his 22.26 effort. Freshman, Damar Williams (Jackson, MI), added a seventh place finish in the open 60 meters, with a seasonal, and freshman school best 7.05 mark.

The men's distance group had a strong weekend as well, with junior Jordan Parayil (West Chester, OH), clocking a school indoor best of 15:09.19 in the 5000 meters at Grand Valley. Both senior Zach Pittman (Spencer, NC), and freshman Robert Sandlin (Frankfort, KY) added seasonal best efforts in the 800 meters, with Pittman running a conference leading 1:56.27.

Final Results

IU Hoosier Hills Meet

Junior Pole Vaulter, Brian Gennett (Indianapolis), gave the Knights yet another Conference leading effort, when he posted a jump of 15-5.75 at the Bloomington, IN meet. His mark came up only 3 inches short of NCAA qualifying, and remains one of the nation's top-25 Division II efforts in the event.

Long sprinters, Joey Kiefer (Evansville, IN), and Sean Klosterman (Louisville), gave the program two top finishers in the Hoosier Hills 400 meters. Kiefer ran away with his heat, producing an indoor best 49.90, good for a third place overall finish, while Klosterman led the fast heat through 200 meters in a quick 23.3, only to falter in the final 20 meters, still earning an indoor best (50.45).

Senior Guy Vandermosten (Burlington, KY) added a team and seasonal best for 3000 meters, 8:43.42 (= 9:21.7/3200) to place well at the Indiana meet.  Robert Sandlin recorded his third indoor "PR" of the winter season, with a 1:57.61 effort at Bloomington.

The squad's men throwers also contributed big efforts over the weekend, with multiple performance improvements. Sophomore teammates, Jon Neff (Logan, OH) and Wes Fehrenbacher (Henderson, KY) both gained personal bests in the 35-lb weight throw, while Neff added a best in the shot put (46-7.5) as well. Senior Elliot Mattingly (Bardstown, KY), earned a 5th place finish in the weight event (55-7.5) at Bloomington, just off his seasonal best, giving the Knight men throwers three of the top-8 Conference performances in that event (Neff/51-10.5, and Fehrenbacher/50-1.75).

Hurdler/Jumper, Nora Bowe (Aurora, IL) continued to drop her short hurdle time, producing a solid 9.66 for the 60 meter HH at the Indiana meet, and also added an indoor best (5-2.5) in the High Jump as well. 

Sophomore Maggie Wagner (Bloomington, IN), improved to 5:17.59 in the mile at the Hoosier Hills event, giving the women a fourth mark that ranks among the Conference's top-10 efforts in that event.

Final Results

DePauw Meet

Senior and two time GLVC outdoor 5k champ, Cristin Samuels (Louisville), returned to the track with a solid 18:49.50 effort in the 5,000 at the DePauw meet.

First year multi-eventer, Ben Kolb (Louisville), dropped his 55m HH best to 8.04, while also adding a High Jump effort of 5-10.75, giving him multiple event marks ranking among the Conference's top-10

Women's Results

Men's Results