GLIAC T&F: 1-2 Finish In Men's Javelin Highlights Track & Field On Day 2, Multiple Athletes Advance To Finals
GLIAC OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEET: GLIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships – Day 2
LOCATION: Grand Valley State University – Allendale, Mich.
RECAP: The men's track and field team sits in fourth place with 35 team points going into the final day of competition at the GLIAC Championships. The Timberwolves also claimed three podium finishes – two in the javelin that include a GLIAC Champion in Rami Gharsalli and one in long jump on a rainy and cold day Thursday (May 2).
MEN'S JAVELIN GOES 1-2
The highlight of a rainy and chilly day came on a 1-2 finish in the men's javelin by seniors Rami Gharsalli and Ben Quella.
A hurdle specialist, Gharsalli launched the javelin in a collegiate best distance of 56.08 meters (184 feet) to take the gold. His mark moved him into second all-time in NU history. This is Gharsalli's second All-GLIAC performance in the javelin, placing second a year ago.
More impressively, Quella competed in his final conference meet on a broken ankle for All-GLIAC second team honors. He concludes his career as a three-time GLIAC place winner, finishing fourth a year ago and fifth in 2016.
Freshman Max Lerchen earned an eighth place finish in javelin on a throw of 43.79 meters (143 feet-8 inches) to round out the NU contingent in the finals. The Timberwolves earned 19 points total in the event.
PHILLIPS PLACES SECOND IN LONG JUMP
Sophomore Mason Phillips continued to have a strong showing at the conference championships in the long jump. It took only one jump for Phillip's to lock up his second-place finish on his first attempt (7.08 meters/23 feet-2.75 inches), while unable to record a distance in the remainder of his series.
This is Phillips's second All-GLIAC podium finish in the outdoor long jump, and his fourth total in the event both indoors and outdoors. He has placed second in all four of his conference appearances.
Phillips also advanced to the finals of the 100 and 200 meter dashes. He was the fastest qualifier in the 100 meters, cruising to a time of 10.64 seconds. He later clocked a time of 21.27 seconds in the 200 meters and will be the second seed in tomorrow's final.
INSIDE THE MEET- MEN'S T&F
In Gharsalli's main event, he was the fastest qualifier out of the prelims of the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.42 seconds. The finals will feature two of the best hurdles this year in NCAA Division II – Ashland's Trevor Bassitt is ranked No. 2 in the country, with Gharsalli right behind at No. 3.
Freshman Andrew Davis made two event finals in his outdoor GLIAC debut. He is the seventh-fastest qualifier in the 100 meters (10.85 seconds) and the eighth-fastest qualifier in the 200 meters (22.09 seconds). Also in the sprints, freshman Nick Morrison posted a collegiate best time of 51.27 seconds.
In the 800 meters, freshman duo Josiah Morse and Stephen Barker both advanced to tomorrow's final. Morse ran the fastest-qualifying time out of prelims (1:54.18), with Barker placing fifth in prelims (1:55.20).
Three Timberwolves advanced to the 1500 meter finals – freshmen Chase Clark and Parker Hayes are the third and fifth qualifiers, running 4:01.96 and 4:02.05 respectively. Junior Trestin Mancillas-Finnerty ran 4:02.24 to round out the NU qualifying contingent.
The 3000 meter steeplechase was an exciting one – two Timberwolves walked away with GLIAC place winning performances. A 14-second personal best by senior Dylan Rocha led him to a fourth-place finish and a new school record. His time of 9:15.59 broke the previous school record of 9:23.24 set by Kyle Chura in 1985. His time was just shy of the NCAA provisional standard of 9:15.02.
This is the second conference placewinning performance in the 3000 meter steeple for Rocha, who placed fifth a year ago.
Sophomore Michael Allen crossed the line in 9:44.83 for a sixth place finish his first time ever running steeple. He now ranks fifth in school history. Freshman Ben Haupt ran a collegiate best time (9:59.31) to rank tenth in school history.
A pair of 10000 meter runners posted collegiate bests that rank them in the Top 10 in program history. Freshman Zane Aldrich ran 32:51.78 and Caleb Barker ran 33:16.46 to move into seventh and tenth all-time.
Sophomore Hunter Berecz threw the hammer 49.11 meters (161 feet-1 inch) for a new collegiate best to improve upon being the seventh-best hammer thrower in school history.
INSIDE THE MEET – WOMEN'S T&F
Freshman Debra Wallace will represent the Timberwolves in the 200 and 400 meter finals. She advanced to the finals with times of 24.83 seconds and 57.28 seconds respectively. She will be the second seed in the 400m.
Sophomore Madi Brooks advanced to her first collegiate conference finals in the 1500. Her time of 4:54.92 led her to a sixth place finish in the prelims, a time that is just shy of her personal best.
Senior Riley Johnson advanced to the finals of javelin and finished with a ninth place finish on a throw landing at 31.42 meters (103 feet-1 inch).
UP NEXT: The third and final day of the 2019 GLIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.