TRACK & FIELD

Senior Aspen Dirr was in the business of breaking records over the weekend at the Crossroads League Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Taylor University. Dirr headlined the two-day event by establishing new league and school records in the mile and 3,000 meters as well as anchoring the distance medley relay that did the same and for her efforts earned three All-Conference badges.

Her weekend started off by running the fourth leg of the DMR that also included Saige Norris, Jessica Chojnacki and Molly Mitchell. The foursome won the relay in 12:28.97, five seconds ahead of their closest competitor, to not only set a new CL and school record, but punch their ticket to NAIA Nationals by easily hitting the A Standard and claiming All-Conference accolades.

Dirr would go on to win the mile and 3,000 meters to earn 20 more points for her team. In the mile, she clocked in at 5:02.71 to hit an A Standard in addition to establishing new records both in the CL and in HU program history. Most impressive about her performance in the 3K was that she ran in what was considered the “slow” heat but her time was anything but that as she posted a time of 10:21.34. She added another tally to her ongoing list of A Standard performances in addition to blowing records out of the water – crushing the CL record by 11 seconds and the HU record by 19.

The Hudson native also ran a leg of the 4×400 meter and 4×800 meter relay that placed 6th in both. Norris, Chojnacki and Mara McFarland joined Dirr in both of these relays.

Mitchell just missed the mark for qualifying for Nationals in the 600 meters. She ran a 1:38.83 good for 2nd place and her second All-Conference honor of the weekend. She also earned three points in the 800 meters by finishing 6th in 2:26.47. Norris was the only other Foresters to earn points in an individual event by finishing 7th in the 3,000 meters in 10:50.88.

Taylor claimed the women’s title with 191 points followed by IWU (161), Marian (109), Spring Arbor (82), Bethel (76), HU (48), Saint Francis (48), Mount Vernon (38), Grace (15) and Goshen (11).

On the men’s side, Elijah Chesterman was the only Forester to bring home gold. The sophomore mid-distance won the 1,000 meters in a PR 2:35.47 to earn the first All-Conference award of his career.

Adam Woods was a repeat All-Conference honoree. The senior claimed 3rd in the hepthalon with 3,777 points.

HU earned several 4th place finishes including Avniel Barrow in the 60 meters (7.04), Adrien Gentrie in the mile (4:26.54), Cameron Worsham in the 60 meter hurdles (8.55)

Heath Atkins earned points in two field events by finishing 6th in triple jump (12.27 meters) and 8th in long jump (6.29 meters).

Rounding out scoring in individual events included CJ Robertson in the 600 meters (6th, 1:24.40) and Peyton Depriest in the 400 meters (8th, 51.72).

The Foresters claimed 4th in two relays. The 4×400 meter relay team of Depriest, Andrew Zachary, Josiah Sovine and Robertson ran a 3:29.26 while the DMR team of Justin Ayres, Graham Johnson, Justin Edwards and Nick Childs clocked in at 10:34.82.

Bethel won the men’s title with 166 points followed by Marian (140), IWU (119), Taylor (98), Spring Arbor (73), HU (49), Grace (49), Mount Vernon (39), Goshen (29) and Saint Francis (17).