Men’s track team takes first at Baker Relays

Freshman+Danny+Griese+passes+the+baton+to+senior+Avery+Parker+to+gain+fourth+place+overall+in+the+mens+1%2C600-meter+relay+with+a+time+of+3%3A30.28.+Photo+by+Marilee+Neutel.

Marilee Neutel

Freshman Danny Griese passes the baton to senior Avery Parker to gain fourth place overall in the men’s 1,600-meter relay with a time of 3:30.28. Photo by Marilee Neutel.

Story by Nathalia Barr, Managing Editor

The Baker University men’s track and field team took first at the annual Baker Relays over the weekend and the women’s team took fourth.

On the women’s side, racewalkers Brenda McCollum and Caitlin Apollo took first and second, respectively. Both McCollum and Apollo hit the qualifying mark for the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. They will join Cory Peoples and Logan Lamb, who both qualified for nationals in the first outdoor meet of the season.

Baker also claimed first and second in the women’s 400-meter dash. Gloria Mares took first with a time of 1:00.42, and Myan Elrington took second. The women’s 4×400 meter relay ‘A’ team finished the meet with a first-place finish for Baker.

On the men’s side, several BU athletes had top finishes in their events. In the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Corey Matteson finished first with a time of 10:09.24. Greg Flores took first for the Wildcats in the men’s 10,000-meter run. The Baker men’s 4×400 meter relay ‘A’ team also finished the meet with a top finish.

Ben Carpenter took second in the pole vault with a mark of 4.3 meters. Baker’s Simeon Windibiziri and CJ Hess took second and third, respectively, in the men’s javelin throw.

On Saturday, both track and field teams will compete at the Ottawa University Invitational.