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Ashland University junior Myles Pringle has accomplished quite a bit in his three years as an Eagle.
Pringle also was able to accomplish a lot in a compacted and frenetic Day 3 of the 2018 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships on Friday (May 4) at the Dwight Schar Athletic Complex. Pringle won three GLIAC titles, a set conference meet record, improved upon one nationals provisional time and earned a new one.
The new GLIAC meet record and improved provisional time came in the men's 400-meter dash, where Pringle won in 45.50 seconds. The new provisional mark came with Pringle as the anchor leg of the men's 4x400 relay. Sophomore Arthur Greenlee IV, freshmen Trevor Bassitt and T.J. Elliott, and Pringle won in 3:13.18.
"All in all, I'm very proud of today," Pringle said. "Started out a little iffy (due to slight injury). Just pushed through it. The 4x4, I wish we could have done it before the rain, but all in all, it was a good day today.
"We were using conference as a prelim to nationals. Those five events (in two days), hoping to just get used to everything and the rhythm of the timing."
Pringle also took home GLIAC gold in the men's 200 dash (wind-aided 20.58 seconds). After the meet, he was named Men's High Point Athlete of the Meet and Men's Track Athlete of the Meet.
Ashland's women earned three first-place finishes on Friday. The hammer throw saw junior Mackenzie Leigh take top honors at 57.84 meters/189-feet-9.
"I'm used to this ring," Leigh said. "It was good that we had a competition in this ring. It feels good to do good at home. I feel a lot more confident. I hit a big throw in Round 1."
Senior Megan Tomei won the women's shot put in 15.66 meters/51-feet-4½ - finishing just 0.02 meters away from an automatic qualification to outdoor nationals.
"It feels good," said Tomei, the Women's Field Athlete of the Year. "It's fun to finish up the career at Ashland here. Looking forward to nationals, and moving the mark a little farther."
Sophomore Ellie Jindra improved upon her previous provisional mark in the women's high jump, reaching 1.75 meters/5-feet-8¾.
"I've been waiting for a big jump," Jindra said. "I've been working for that for a long time. Honestly, it feels great. I really like being here. It was a good day."
Rounding out the Ashland GLIAC titles on Friday was sophomore Nick Zak in the men's hammer throw, topping out at 60.83 meters/199-feet-7.
"It feels good to do it in front of the people at home," said Zak. "Easier for friends and family to come see. It's good to be able to perform in front of them. We had bad conditions. With those conditions, I still felt comfortable, just because it's our home ring."
Four Eagles finished second in their respective events, and improved previous provisional marks in the process – redshirt freshman Gianna DiPippo in the women's shot put (13.98 meters/45-feet-10½), junior Natalie Helenthal in the women's hammer throw (56.65 meters/185-feet-10), sophomore Gariana Bercheni in the women's 100 dash (11.88 seconds), and Bassitt in the men's 110 hurdles (14.02 seconds).
In the final team standings, the Eagle women were second with 149 points, to Grand Valley State's 255; while the Ashland men were third (168.5), trailing only GVSU (203) and Tiffin (179.5).
"I'm more than pleasantly surprised with how we got there," said Ashland head coach Jud Logan. "Some of the performances that we saw out there, that show where we're at and where we're rounding into form...Ellie Jindra. We were hoping she would make 1.72…then she goes and makes 1.75. For me, that was the standout performance of the meet.
"Beyond that, what can you say about Myles that hasn't been said? We're just blessed to have somebody of that caliber in our program."
The remainder of Ashland's point-scorers on Friday broke down this way:
- Second-place finishes – Bercheni in women's 200 dash (24.10 seconds) and sophomore Alex Hill in men's hammer throw (60.42 meters/198-feet-2).
- Third-place finishes – freshman Jake Hall in men's 1,500 run (4:24.49), Bassitt in men's 400 hurdles (53.21 seconds), senior Hannah Bartlome in women's high jump (tied, 1.64 meters/5-feet-4½), and senior Elijah Talk in men's shot put (17.32 meters/56-feet-10).
- Fourth-place finishes – freshman Madeline Kreller in women's 200 dash (24.89 seconds), Tomei in women's hammer throw (54.72 meters/179-feet-6), junior Tyler Sievert in men's 1,500 run (4:24.71), freshman Travis Moore in men's 400 hurdles (53.34, new provisional), and the men's 4x1 relay team (41.32 seconds).
- Fifth-place finishes – freshman Ian Johnson in men's 1,500 run (4:24.87), sophomore Paula Wollenslegel in women's high jump (1.64 meters/5-feet-4½), Zak in men's shot put (16.32 meters/53-feet-6½, improved provisional), Bercheni in women's 100 hurdles (14.02 seconds), Jindra in women's triple jump (11.44 meters/37-feet-6½), freshman Channing Phillips in men's 400 dash (48.24 seconds), senior Ryan VanCauwenbergh in men's 800 run (1:56.50), and sophomore Kyle D'Ambrosio in men's triple jump (13.66 meters/44-feet-9¾).
- Sixth-place finishes – freshman Brent Fairbanks in men's hammer throw (57.18 meters/187-feet-7), freshman David Amstutz in men's shot put (16.21 meters/53-feet-2¼), freshman Romi Smith in women's triple jump (11.37 meters/37-feet-3¾), and senior Lydia Ott in women's 400 dash (1:00.27).
- Seventh-place finishes – junior Stephen Pop in men's hammer throw (57.02 meters/187-feet-1), Greenlee IV in men's 110 hurdles (14.71 seconds), freshman Maddi Yingst in women's 400 hurdles (1:04.25), and junior Jacob Sprague in men's pole vault (4.56 meters/14-feet-11½).
- Eighth-place finishes – sophomore Paul Murray in men's 400 dash (49.05 seconds), Sievert in men's 800 run (2:15.07), and freshman Angel Frye in women's 400 dash (1:01.49).
Hill was named both Men's Field Athlete of the Meet and Men's Field Athlete of the Year, and Bassitt earned Men's Freshman Track Athlete of the Meet honors. Smith landed Women's Freshman Field Athlete of the Meet laurels.
UP NEXT: Various last-chance meets for select athletes, prior to the 2018 NCAA Division II Championships, May 24-26 in Charlotte, N.C.
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