LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY TRACK AND FIELD PAGE
On a typically cold and cloudy day for Day 2 of the 2018 Ashland Alumni Open on Saturday (April 28), Ashland University's men's track and field team turned in five nationals marks, as the regular season winds down.
Junior Myles Pringle, who is headed to 2018 NCAA Division II outdoor nationals in the 400-meter dash, and most likely is going in the 200 dash and 4x100 relay, added the high jump to his potential nationals workload on Saturday. Pringle won the men's high jump with a top effort of 2.14 meters/7-feet-0¼, an improved provisional distance.
"It's a different environment," Pringle said. "All your friends and family can watch. The experience being here, all the fans…getting to show them how I do my job is very exciting.
"Today's been the best I've jumped in weeks. I'm very happy about this. I'm not complaining at all."
Ashland head coach Jud Logan said Pringle told him, after the Jesse Owens Classic at Ohio State, that Pringle would high jump seven feet, and win the 200 and 400 – and he did.
Freshman Trevor Bassitt won the men's 400 hurdles with a new provisional time of 52.96 seconds, while sophomore Alex Hill improved upon his previous provisional distance in the men's discus with an elite division-winning mark of 54.49 meters/178-feet-9.
"Trevor stands out big to me," Logan said. "Alex Hill had a big day in the discus."
In the men's shot put, freshman David Amstutz (fifth, 16.74 meters/54-feet-11¼) improved on his provisional distance, while sophomore Nick Zak (sixth, 16.13 meters/52-feet-11) earned a new one.
Eagles earning Alumni Open titles on Saturday were Pringle in the men's 400 dash (46.64 seconds) and men's 200 dash (21.34 seconds), junior Tyler Sievert in the men's 1,500 run (3:59.78), sophomore Arthur Greenlee IV in the men's 110 hurdles (14.73 seconds), senior Ryan VanCauwenbergh in the men's 800 run (1:55.67), senior Hannah Bartlome in the women's high jump (1.67 meters/5-feet-5¾), and the women's 400 relay team of junior Samantha Duale, freshman Angel Frye, sophomore Gariana Bercheni and freshman Madeline Kreller (47.47 seconds).
Runner-up finishes were earned by senior Megan Tomei in the women's shot put elite (15.43 meters/50-feet-7½), senior Marie Hammer in the women's long jump (5.19 meters/17-feet-0½), sophomore Ellie Jindra in the women's triple jump (10.68 meters/35-feet-0½), and the men's 4x400 relay quartet of VanCauwenbergh, freshmen Jake Hall and Sam Shockey, and Sievert (3:31.29).
Said Tomei, "It was OK. I felt better technically today. We're working on some more technical things, and we should be peaking for nationals."
"It seems like that distance crew is moving in the right direction," Logan said.
Jindra and sophomore Paula Wollenslegel were tied for third in the women's high jump at 1.57 meters/5-feet-1¾, and other AU third-place finishes were turned in by sophomore Kyle D'Ambrosio in the men's triple jump (12.84 meters/42-feet-1½), junior Jacob Bon in the men's long jump (6.55 meters/21-feet-6), senior Elijah Talk in the men's shot put elite (17.89 meters/58-feet-8½), Bercheni in the women's 100 hurdles (15.00 seconds) and 100 dash (12.56 seconds), freshman Maddi Yingst in the women's 400 dash (59.54 seconds), sophomore Dylan Kipp in the men's javelin throw (54.14 meters/177-feet-7), and freshman Romi Smith in the women's javelin throw (38.34 meters/125-feet-9).
"We can't control the weather, but we can control how we react to the weather," Logan said. "And I loved the way our kids reacted."
UP NEXT: The 2018 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships, Wednesday-Friday (May 2-4) at the Dwight Schar Athletic Complex.
"Quick turnaround," Logan said. "I'm looking forward to it."
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