By: Tim Flynn
Results
GOLDEN, Colo. - The meet may have been small, but the Orediggers' performances were big as Colorado School of Mines hosted the Mines Mini-Meet Friday at Stermole Track.
Hunter Potrykus broke the Mines and RMAC pole vault record to tie for the national lead, while the distance runners went wild in the morning as the men set five of the top 10 times in the nation in the 10,000m, the women had three inside the top 14 nationally, and
Alberto Campa blazed to the #5 1500m performance of the season among many highlights.
Potrykus, whose previous all-conditions best was 5.20m, blew right past that and hit 5.36m to break former Oredigger Connor McLean's program and conference standard of 5.35m set in 2021. Competing inside Steinhauer Fieldhouse due to windy conditions outdoors, Potrykus had just one miss each at 5.10m, 5.25m (which broke his PR), and then 5.36m. It ties Potrykus for the NCAA Division II lead this season.
In the morning distance track session, the men's 10K was one of the most loaded in D-II this season as five Orediggers set national top-10 times among seven NCAA provisional performances overall. Paced by alumnus and former all-American Ben Schneiderman, the quintet of defending national champion
Dillon Powell (30:13.43),
Duncan Fuehne (30:13.44),
Paul Knight (30:13.87),
Steven Goldy (30:18.75), and
Chris Cathcart (30:25.38) worked together and set the #6 through #10 times in D-II this season.
Jeremiah Vaille was eighth at 31:34.56 and
Andrew Kaye ninth in 31:40.41, both provisional times.Â
The women's 10K was also hugely productive with the Orediggers taking the top four spots, all in NCAA provisional times.
Zoe Baker won in 35:57.96 ahead of
Molly Maksin (36:02.23),
Jenna Ramsey (36:05.71), and
Grace Strongman (37:05.40), with
Holly Moser doing the early pacemaking. Baker, Maksin, and Ramsey's times put them at #12 through 15 on the national performance list. In the 5,000m,
Brin Strouse was second in 17:58.01 with
Ashleigh Loe fifth (18:38.51) and Ella Kenly eighth (19:38.64).
Lexi Herr was second in the 1500m at 4:47.37.
One of the biggest individual performances in the morning session came from Campa as he ran a huge PR of 3:50.73 to virtually assure his spot at nationals. Campa's time ranks #5 nationally as he ran a patient race to pass Colorado Christian's Trent Cochran on the final turn;
Matt Mettler finished fifth with his own personal-best of 3:55.79.
Alex Raichart won the 3,000m steeplechase in a season-best converted performance of 11:03.23, with
Margaux Basart third in 11:30.70. The men's trio of
Alex Shaw,
Max Sevcik, and
Max Bonenberger swept the top three spots as Shaw ran 9:34.42, Sevcik 9:35.55, and Bonenberger 9:37.35.Â
In the late afternoon sprint session,
Elijah Quinby won the 400m hurdles in 55.98 seconds,
Tim Thompson (1:53.66) and
Andy Gebhardt (1:55.85) went 2-3 in the 800m, and
Joey Maguire was seventh in 52.68 seconds. For the women,
Randi Higashi and
Avary Catchings were 1-2 in the 400m at 59.24 and 1:00.09, respectively, and
Miranda Manfre was second in the 800m with a time of 2:21.06.Â
Inside Steinhauer Fieldhouse,
Grant Redmond won the high jump with a 2.13m clearance, his outdoor season best by a centimeter, while
Lexye Wood was second (1.64m) and
Abbi Gillespie fourth (1.59m).
Hannah Miller won women's pole vault clearing a season-best 4.11m to move her to fifth nationally, while
Avery Herbold also got over four meters for the first time this season to place second at 4.01m, the national #7 performance.
Dale Thompson and
Ava Kowalski shared third at 3.76m,
Lauren Kelly was fifth at 3.46m, and
Gabbi Varela sixth at the same height. For the men,
Aidan Bennett had a personal-best 4.80m for second in the pole vault with
Noah Kelly third at the same height,
Shane Conley fourth at 4.50m, and
Jackson Wray sixth also at 4.50m.Â
Brody Welch won the shot put in a 1-2 with
Hayden Swim, throwing 15.57m and 14.19m, respectively, while
Davin Kiesby led the Orediggers in the hammer with a third-place 56.58m, his new personal best.
Arvid Veidmark IV was fourth (55.33m), Welch fifth (46.84m), and Swim sixth (46.54m). For the women's throwers,
Kitt Rupar marked 11.40m for second in the shot and
Avery Wright was third at 10.78m. Jennifer Jarnigan was the hammer throw runner-up with a collegiate-best 48.29m, a spot ahead of Rupar (48.04m).
Sidney Walshaw landed at 5.32m for second in the long jump, and
Claire Kintzley was sixth at 5.17m.
Nicholas Nijkamp was eighth in the men's event at 5.74m.
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STANFORD, Calif. - One Oredigger was in action at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford Friday night as
Loic Scomparin all but punched his ticket to nationals with an impressive 5,000m run. Scomparin stopped the clock in 13:45.65, the #4 performance in D-II this year, to win his heat in a competitive field. Scomparin broke off the front of the pack with three laps to go and finished just two tenths off his collegiate best.Â
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NEXT UP
Mines will head to Chadron State for the RMAC Championships next weekend.
