TRACK & FIELD

Two relay teams punched their ticket to the big stage and nine Foresters earned All-Conference badges at the 2019 Crossroads League Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan.

The HU women’s 4×800 meter relay team was the first of Child’s crew to hit the “B” standard for a spot at the NAIA National Championships by clocking in at 9:18.91. The foursome, made up of Aspen Dirr, Molly Mitchell, Mara McFarland and Jessica Chojnacki, also claimed the Foresters’ first All-Conference honors by finishing third among their league peers.

Less than an hour later, the men’s 4×800 meter relay team also ran a fabulous race to earn the right to run at NAIA Nationals by posting a time of 7:47.80. The group of four included CJ Robertson, Adrien Gentie, Elijah Chesterman and Josiah Sovine.

Another relay team, the men’s 4×100 meter, also had a solid showing at the CL meet by finishing 3rd to earn All-Conference accolades. Avniel Barrow, Heath Atkins, Andrew Zachary and Peyton Depriest teamed up to run a 42.41.

Dirr doubled up on All-Conference honors by collecting a badge in the 800 meters. Running the open 800 for the first time this season, the unseeded senior harrier blew away the competition in the slow heat with her time of 2:16.46. It proved the third fastest time in the four heats as well as the third fastest time in the Huntington record books.

Cameron Worsham was the only other Forester to receive All-Conference honors in an individual event. The rookie took 3rd in the 110 meter hurdles by registering a PR of 15.28.

Barrow picked up points for his team in the 100 meters (6th, 11.01) and the 200 meters (7th, 22.81). On Thursday in the 200 prelims, the junior speedster clocked in at 22.27 to log the 7th fastest time in program history.

In field events, Atkins scored in triple jump (8th, 12.08 meters) and long jump (8th, 6.65 meters). His PR mark in long jump lands him the No. 6 spot in the HU history books.

Other point-getters for HU included Depriest in the 400 meters (6th, 50.40), Mitchell in the 400 meters (4th, 59.16*PR), Chesterman in the 800 meters (7th, 1:57.82), Gentie in the 1500 meters (4th, 4:02.84), Luke Fillers in pole vault (8th, 4.05 meters) and Brooke Saylor in javelin (7th, 33.12 meters).

The Forester men finished 7th as a team with 39 points. Bethel claimed the men’s title with 172.5 points followed by Taylor (144), Marian (142.5), IWU (134), Grace (79), Mount Vernon (43), HU (39), Spring Arbor (29), Goshen (26) and Saint Francis (10).

On the women’s side, HU was 8th with 25 points. IWU registered 218.5 points as the CL champs followed by Taylor (173), Marian (170), Bethel (64), Spring Arbor (59.5), Mount Vernon (47), Saint Francis (37), HU (25), Grace (19) and Goshen (6).

Huntington is scheduled to compete in Hillsdale’s Last Chance Meet on May 10.