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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. –The Goshen College track and field team joined nearly twenty other squads as they competed in the Little State Track and Field Championships at the Michael Carroll Stadium on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis on Friday and Saturday.
The two-day event did not finish quite as well as the the men’s team would have hoped as they finished 19th with just 1.5 points. Junior Kyle Laker was the only male to get on the award stand when he finished seventh in the high jump, clearing 6’4”.
“After windy, but pleasant conditions on Friday, the competitors battled more than themselves on Saturday as the weather remained windy, but with cool and wet conditions,” explained Head Coach Rick Clark. “Athletes experienced everything from light rain to heavy rain and even hail at one point. Athletes from all schools are to be commended for dealing with the conditions and competing in excellent fashion.”
Nearly missing points for the men's team were Justin Hochstetler in the hammer throw, Jon Miller in the 400-meter hurdles, and Paul Versluis in the triple jump. Hochstetler placed ninth in the hammer with a mark of 141'11", while Miller's time of 58.74 seconds was tenth and Versluis' jump of 39'1 1/4" placed him 11th.
On the ladies side, Goshen grabbed points in nine different events for a total of 43.5 points. The tally put them in a sixth-place tie with Mid-Central Conference foe Marian College and was just a half point behind fifth-place St. Joseph’s.
Leading the way for the Maple Leafs was a pair of runner-up finishes. Already qualified for NAIA Outdoor Nationals in May, junior Abri Houser ran another solid race in the 100-meter hurdles to take second in a time of 15.10 seconds.
“Houser once again led the Maple Leaf women on the track with an exciting finish where she was only a body width away from taking the blue ribbon in the event,” added Clark, whose team finished in front of MCC foes Taylor, Huntington, and Grace at the event which featured all of the NAIA, NCAA DII, and NCAA DIII schools in the state of Indiana.
Continuing her steady performance in the javelin, senior Katie Sowers also grabbed runner-up honors as she hit a mark of 112-feet, 3-inches. As has been consistent with the Maple Leafs’ season, junior Deanna Kronk also picked up points in the hammer throw and the discuss. The 2008 NAIA Indoor All American placed third in the hammer with a throw of 144-feet, while taking a sixth-place finish in the discuss with a mark of 123’5”.
Another Goshen standout, freshman Peni Acayo, placed in a pair of events. The Kampala, Uganda native took third in the high jump (5’0”) and seventh in the triple jump (34’3 ½”).
Rounding out the day for the Maple Leaf women was Houser, who took fifth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:09.22), while the 4x100 relay team took fifth (51.78) and the 4x400 team placed sixth (4:21.59).
The Maple Leafs return to action when they take part in the Spartan Classic in North Manchester on April 19th before hosting the MCC Championships April 25-26th at the Eigsti Track and Field Complex.
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Junior Kyle Laker