4x1 Relay Squad Qualifies at Grand View Viking Classic

Des Moines--The Statesmen men's track and field team earned another national qualifier as it competed at both the Grand View Viking Classic Friday and the Drake Relays Friday and Saturday.

At the Drake Relays, WPU only competed in the 4x100-meter relay, taking 11th in 41.77 seconds, as well as in the distance medley relay, placing sixth in a time of 10:40.28.

The 4x1 crew was even better at the GV Viking Classic, winning the event in 41.42 seconds, hitting the 'B' standard to qualify for the NAIA National Championship.

Tafara Hondonga (Sr., Aberdeen, S.D., Business Management) and Justin Moeller (Sr., Keota, Iowa, Psychology) also topped their respective fields.  Hondonga was first in the 400-meter dash in 48.85 seconds, while Moeller won the pole vault with a height of 13-11.25.

Hondonga was also second in the 200-meter dash (22.18), while Moeller took fourth in the long jump (6-0.75) and fifth in the javelin (144-10).

The trio of Keaten Griffen (Fr., Longview, Texas, Software Engineering), Jonah Heckenberg (Jr., Stockport, Iowa, Business Management), and Ethan Harrington (Jr., Melcher, Iowa, Industrial Technology) all won silvers.  Griffen was right behind Moeller in the pole vault at 13-5.25, while Heckenberg nabbed runner-up honors in the 800-meter run in 1:56.72.  Harrington's second place came in the javelin at 154-6.

Max Finley (Fr., Richville, N.Y., Secondary Education) was third in the 1,500-meter run in 4:11.64, while Jasper Stottlemyer (Sr., Council Bluffs, Iowa, Sociology) also matched the placing in the hammer throw at 166-9.  Stottlemyer was fifth in the shot put (45-9.25) and 13th in the discus (119-10) as well.

Fourth-place finishes came from Brandon Williams (Fr., Fountain, Colo., Civil Engineering) in the 800 (1:57.73) and Johnny Fisher (Fr., Laporte, Colo., New Media) in the 200 (22.36).  Fisher also gathered sixth place in the 400 (51.11).

Jeremiah Conteh (Jr., Shorewood, Wis., English) notched a pair of top-half finishes, ending up 10th in the hammer (134-2) and 14th in the discus (119-7).

Nick Richardson-Jackson (Sr., Germantown, Md.) finished 12th in the 100-meter dash (11.41), while Rayan Antonia (Fr., Willemstad, Curacao, Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management) was 15th (11.50).

Ethan Varvelo (Fr., Channelview, Texas, Engineering) gave the Statesmen three high finishers in the 800, taking 13th in a time of 2:05.94.

"This was our best day of the outdoor season in regards to weather and our athletes took advantage with several PRs and qualifications," Head Coach Allen Friesen said.

Next Up: William Penn travels to Cedar Rapids next Friday and Saturday to compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship.