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Josiah Morse and Stephen Barker
Josiah Morse and Stephen Barker
Posted: Feb 15, 2019

Men's 800 Meter Runners, Gharsalli Stellar At SVSU Tune-Up Meet

Results

OVERVIEW – SVSU TUNE-UP 

MEET: SVSU Tune-Up

LOCATION: Saginaw Valley State University – University Center, Mich.

RECAP: Gharsalli improves on previous 60 meter hurdle NCAA mark while Stephen Barker and Josiah Morse have breakthrough race at 800 meters at SVSU Tune-Up Friday (February 15).

GHARSALLI POSTS IMPROVED NCAA MARK

  • The story of the season for Rami Gharsalli is that he continues to cut time off of his 60 meter hurdle mark each meet. Gharsalli notched an improved NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the event, clocking 7.96 seconds in the final. He was the fastest qualifier out of prelims in 8.02 seconds.
  • His seasonal best puts him in sole possession of fourth place on the performance list for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships in Pittsburg, Kansas March 8-9.
  • Gharsalli also picked up a third place finish in the 60 meter dash in 7.03 seconds. He led all qualifiers in prelims at 7.06 seconds.

S. BARKER, MORSE EXCEL AT 800 METERS

  • Stephen Barker and Josiah Morse both saw personal bests efforts in a 2-3 finish in the 800 meter run. The freshmen duo placed themselves into the Top 10 all-time in Northwood history.
  • S. Barker ran 1:53.62 to improve on his previous best of 1:55.36 ran at the GVSU Big Meet (Saturday) last weekend. Morse finished right behind in 1:53.65, bettering his previous Northwood best time of 1:55.96 at the GVSU Big Meet (Friday).
  • The 800 meter crew has seen five men in total rise to the occasion this season, with four of the five being true freshman and all sit within a few hundredths of each other and within a half second of the NCAA provisional qualifying standard. Junior Trestin Mancillas-Finnerty is sixth at 1:53.52, S. Barker and Morse sitting seventh and eighth, and freshmen Netunji Paige in ninth (1:53.67) and Chase Clark in tenth (1:53.71) to round out the list of all-time performances. They all sit No. 9-13 respectively on the GLIAC Indoor performance list.

INSIDE THE MEET – MEN

  • Austin Hamlet picked up a win in the 200 meters in 23.04 seconds. He also placed eighth in the 60 meter dash finals with a time of 7.16 seconds.
  • Also in the 200 meters, teammate Darien Randolph placed fourth in 23.75 seconds for a personal best effort.
  • In the 400 meter dash, JaiVen Holmes-Powell finished third overall in a season-best 52.55 seconds. Teammate Dallas Cleary placed fifth in 53.76 seconds, also a season best.
  • Caleb Barker ran the 3000 meters in 9:15.06, just shy of his best of 9:13.08 ran at the GVSU Tune-Up meet in February 2018.
  • The 4x400 relay of Andrew Wendler, Stephen Barker, Josiah Morse and Michael Allen ran 3:30.31.
  • Nathan Powers placed second in the weight throw (15.59m/51 feet-1.75 inches) for a new personal best in the event. He also picked up a third place finish in shot put (14.87m/48 feet-9.5 inches). His previous best in the weight throw was 14.90m (48 feet-10.75 inches) set at the SVSU Jet's Pizza Invitational in January.
  • Hunter Berecz earned a third place finish in the weight throw (15.43m/50 feet-7.5 inches) and a fifth place finish in shot put (14.65m/48 feet-0.75 inches).
  • For freshman Travis Schepers, he improved upon his collegiate best effort in the shot put with a distance of 14.16m (46 feet-5.5 inches).
  • Zechariah Stickler earned a fifth place finish in the weight throw (14.47m/47 feet-5.75 inches), while placing eighth in the shot (13.75m/45 feet-1.5 inches).
  • Dylan Powers rounded out the Northwood contingent in the weight throw with a sixth place finish of 14.10m (46 feet-3.25 inches) for a lifetime best effort by almost 2 meters. In his first season ever throwing, his previous best effort in the weight was 12.20 meters (40 feet-0.5 inches) set at the GVSU Big Meet (Saturday).

INSIDE THE MEET – WOMEN

  • Taky Ezell threw two personal best marks today. Her first PR came from the shot put with a distance of 11.92m (39 feet-1.25 inches) that placed her fourth in the finals. After throwing a personal best in round five, her final throw of the competition went further to land at 16.28m (53 feet-5 inches). Already the third-best weight thrower in NU history, Ezell improved upon her mark of 16.14 set at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic (February 1-2).
  • Jessica Kursinsky finished fifth in the shot put with her second throw of the day going 11.87m (38 feet-11.5 inches).
  • Jessica Marvin rounded out the Northwood contingent in the weight throw finals, placing eighth with a mark of 14.93m (48 feet-11.75 inches).
  • In the sprints, Anneliese Hummel picked up an eighth place finish in the 200 in 28.11 seconds.

UP NEXT

  • The Northwood track & field teams will compete in the GLIAC Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday-Saturday (February 23-24) at Saginaw Valley State University.