RedStorm men finish 2nd at RSC Championships

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Tyler Jenkins recorded a pair of first-place finishes, while Skylar Gries and Huntyr Butler each added one of their own to lead the University of Rio Grande to a runner-up finish in the men's division of the River States Conference Track & Field Championships, which wrapped up on Saturday afternoon at the Stockmeister Track & Field.
     Jenkins, a freshman from Barnesville, Ohio, took the top spot in the 1,500-meter run with a new conference record time of 4:01.13 and did the same in the 5,000-meter run after crossing the line in 15:14.13.
     Gries, a sophomore from Williamsburg, Ohio, won the pole vault after successfully clearing 4.47m and Butler - a freshman from Heath, Ohio - raced to the title in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.56.
     The winning marks for Gries and Butler also established new conference records.
     Rio Grande piled up 152 points as a team to claim second place, but finished well behind Point Park University, which won its second straight crown with 270 points after winning 12 of the 22 events.
     Indiana University East finished third among the 11 participating schools with 133 points.
     The top three finishers in each event and in the relay competitions earned all-conference honors. The top eight placements in each event earned points for their team.
     Among the others who posted all-conference and/or scoring finishes for the RedStorm were junior Eric Weber (Bidwell, OH), who finished second in the hammer throw with a toss of 46.73m and fourth in the discus throw with a heave of 42.11m; junior Travis Hunt (New Paris, OH), who was the runner-up in the triple jump with an effort of 13.84m and third in the long jump at 6.48m; junior Haden Karshner (Circleville, OH), who placed third in both the hammer throw (46.73m) and discus throw (42.34m); Butler, who was third in the high jump with a mark of 1.85m and fifth in the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:00.61; junior Mason Dishong (Reedsville, OH), who placed fourth in the javelin throw with a toss of 50.17m and eighth in the discus throw with an effort of 39.01m; Gries, who took fourth in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.94; sophomore Chase McClay (McDermott, OH), who was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles after crossing in 1:00.48; sophomore Marshall Jackson (Bellefontaine, OH), who finished fifth in the shot put (13.60m), seventh in the discus throw (39.29m) and eighth in the hammer throw (44.60m); freshman Daunevyn Woodson (Gallipolis, OH), who was fifth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.38 and eighth in the 200-meter dash after crossing in 23.28; sophomore Andrew Skaggs (Minford, OH), who was fifth in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.05; junior Kyle Lightner (Peebles, OH), who finished fifth in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.46; freshman Hunter Blagg (Ironton, OH), who placed sixth in the pole vault after clearing 3.35m; senior Tristan Janey (Crown City, OH), who was sixth in the 5,000-meter race walk with a time of 31:31.69; sophomore Danuel Persinger (Bidwell, OH), who was seventh in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:12.65 and eighth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 15:51.60; and sophomore Jason Springer (Circleville, OH), who placed seventh in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 34:08.22.
     Rio Grande also got third-place outings from both its 4x100 relay and 4x800 relay units.
     The 4x100 team - comprised of sophomore Nathaniel Davis (Pitsburg, OH), Woodson, sophomore Amir Harris (Trotwood, OH) and Butler - recorded a time of 43.51, while the 4x800 quartet composed of junior Austin Setty (Fairfield, OH), Jenkins, Lightner and sophomore Matt Spetnagel (Chillicothe, OH) crossed in 8:05.96.
     The RedStorm 4x400 team - which included Blagg, Lightner, Butler and McClay - placed fifth in a time of 3:31.33.
     Point Park University captured all four individual awards.
     Daimere Stephens-Stewart claimed Track Athlete of the Year honors by winning first place and setting RSC championship records in all three events he competed in - 100 meters, 200 meters and long jump. His long jump qualified him for NAIA nationals.
     Collins Eze earned the Field Athlete of the Year award following all-conference outings in all three jumps, while Peter Dorando got Newcomer of the Year after scoring in all five events he competed in and getting all-conference in four of them.
     Point Park head coach Tim Creamer was voted Coach of the Year after leading the Pioneers to the sweep of the conference men's titles this year. His team is ranked No. 21 nationally by USTFCCCA.
     The RSC also named a Champions of Character Team which honored one team member of each school who best displays the NAIA five character traits of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.
     Rio Grande was represented on the list by Ryan Weber.
     The RedStorm also placed 11 representatives on the RSC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete Team, which recognizes outstanding students who have been at their current school for more than two semesters and who have a 3.25 or better grade point average.
     Rio's honorees included Setty, Eric Weber, Karshner, Springer, Jackson, Dishong, Spetnagel, Davis, Gries, Hunt and sophomore Triston Malmstrom (McArthur, OH).