Track and Field Teams Host 2016 NU Go MAD Open

MIDLAND, MICH. – The Northwood University track and field teams hosted the 2016 Northwood Go MAD Open on Friday and Saturday afternoon (April 8-9).

No team scoring was taken at the event, which featured athletes from Northwood, Lake Superior State, Alma and Cleary, among others.

Paul Evans (Lenox, Mich. / New Haven) led the way for the Timberwolves with two NCAA Provisional qualifying marks. His first place mark in the discus throw of 50.89 meters not only provisionally (49.35 meters) qualifies him for the NCAA National Championship but also improves his own second best mark in school history. Evans also provisionally (53.60 meters) qualified in the hammer throw with a mark of 53.77 meters. Finishing second, Evans again improves his personal best for the third best mark in school history. Exhildi Prekaj (Walled Lake, Mich. / Central) finished third in the shot put with his personal best and third best throw in school history at 14.51 meters.

John King (Mesick, Mich.) won the 400 meter dash with the second best time in school history, behind only that of Steve Loria at 52.27 from 1983, clocking a time of 52.38. Jordan Fields(Lauderhill, Fla. / Blanche Ely) also set a personal best time, winning the 110 hurdles at 15.49, while Grand Harris (Sebewaing, Mich. / Unionville-Sebewaing Area) and Tyler Jensen (Ovid, Mich. / Ovid-Elsie) finished second and third in the 800 meter run.

On the women's side, Hunter Perry (Moran, Mich. / Rudyard) also set a pair of personal bests and took home two first place finishes. Her mark in the discus of 43.82 meters won the event and is the second best throw in school history. Following close behind in second place was Riley Johnson (Commerce Twp., Mich. / Walled Lake Northern) with the third best mark in school history at 41.67 meters. Perry also won the hammer throw at 41.60 meters, while Chloe Kinsey (Monroe, Mich. / Monroe) threw a personal best of 39.37 meters for third. Carly D'Almeida (Harrison Township, Mich. / L'Anse Creuse / Macomb CC) won the shot put with a personal best throw of 10.87 meters.

Kara Young (Zephyrhills, Fla. / Zephyrhills) and Drew Findlay (Reese, Mich. / Reese) finished first and second in the 100 meter dash, as Young clocked 12.94 and Findlay ran a personal best 13.38. Kaitlyn Marsh (Munising, Mich. / Munising) finished second in the 200 and 400 meter dashes, while Jennifer McKenna (Orchard Lake, Mich. / Walled Lake Northern) also took second in the 800 meter run.

The Timberwolves will compete at the Al Owen's Invite in Allendale, Mich. on Friday and Saturday (April 22-23).