RedStorm men get two national qualifiers, pair of school records

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande men's track & field team produced a litany of personal records, school records and national qualifying marks while competing in three different meets over the weekend.
     The national qualifiers both came at the Lee Fast Break Invitational hosted by Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.
     Freshman Wes Taylor (Lancaster, OH) finished first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a personal-best time of 9:19.07 - a mark believed to be the fastest in the program in recent memory.
     Taylor's time hit the "B" qualifying standard.
     Junior Tyler Jenkins (Barnesville, OH) also hit the "B" standard and had a personal-best mark in the 10,000-meter run after finish 12th in a time of 30:30.98.
     Two school records were set at the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic hosted by NCAA Division III Lynchburg University in Lynchburg, Va.
     Sophomore Troy Mason (Grenville, Grenada) broke his own record in the 200-meter dash, finishing second in a time of 20.91. He also won the 100 in a time of 10.46.
     Sophomore Rowen Gerlach (New Haven, WV) set a new school record in the hammer throw after placing second with a toss of 54.96m. He was also second in the shot put (15.10m).
     First-place finishes - in addition to personal-best showings - came from sophomore Kasy Science (Marietta, OH) in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:52.44 and freshman Keegan McKinney (Baltimore, OH) in the shot put with a heave covering 15.96m.
     Other notable outings at the Classic came from graduate senior Chase McClay (McDermott, OH), who was second in the 400 hurdles with a personal-best time of 54.98; senior Ryan Weber (Bidwell, OH), who placed fifth in the discus throw with a personal-best mark of 40.95m; senior Triston Malmstrom (McArthur, OH), who had a personal-best effort of 46.64m for sixth place in the hammer throw and an eighth-place finish in the discus throw at 39.53m; sophomore Nick Knight (Proctorville, OH), who was seventh in the shot put with a personal-record toss of 14.01m; senior Marshall Jackson (Zanesfield, OH), who was seventh in the hammer throw at 46.51m; freshman Logen Justice (Lancaster, OH), who was eighth in the 400 hurdles with a personal-best time of 57.68 and eighth in the high jump after clearing 1.90m; senior Andrew Skaggs (Minford, OH), who placed ninth in the 110 hurdles in a time of 16.40; freshman Dalton Ferguson (Huntington, WV), who was 10th in the 110 hurdles with a personal-best finish of 16.45; junior Spencer Harris (Gallipolis, OH), who took 10th place in the high jump at 1.85m; and junior Hunter Blagg (Pedro, OH), who was 10th in the triple jump with a leap of 12.54m.
     The RedStorm 4x100 relay team - comprised of freshman Mason Coffman (Washington Court House, OH), Mason, junior Daunevyn Woodson (Gallipolis, OH) and junior Trevon Houston (Cleveland, OH) - finished as the runner-up with a time of 41.51, while the 4x400 team - made up of McClay, Science, sophomore JJ Larue (Chillicothe, OH) and sophomore Jevon Shuriah (Toll Gate, Jamaica) - was sixth after crossing in 3:29.52.
     Rio's other notable finish for the weekend came at the Gordon Bocock Invitational hosted by the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky.
     Sophomore Zach Whitley (Wheelersburg, OH) took second in the 10,000-meter race walk with a personal-best time of 22:54.69.
     Rio Grande will return to action on April 25 and 26 when it hosts the River States Conference Championships at the Stockmeister Track and Field.