Men’s track steps it up

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Willie Brown/The Chart

Freshman Brady Melugin smiles after finishing third in the pole vault with a height of 15-3 at the MSSU Invite.

With the outdoor season well under way, the men’s track and field team traveled to Emporia State to compete in the State Farm Relays.  

“We’re going to have to start focusing in on training a little bit harder, focusing in on our meets,” Head Coach Tom Rutledge said. “I have confidence in these men and I think they’ll do well, we just have some areas that need work.”

The triple jumpers ran the show with two provisionals and three wins. Nearly breaking his school record, sophomore jumper Darion Boure won the triple jump with a provisional distance of 49-9.00.

Sophomore Jayce Thomas earned third place with a distance just three-quarters of an inch behind Boure’s.

Taylor McClelland, a senior jumper, earned fourth place in the long jump with a distance of 23-3.25.

Sophomore sprinter Jeff Fraley  won the 200-meter with a provisional time of 21.23 and placed second in the 100-meter with a time of 10.53.

“It took a bit for me to get back into the swing of things, but last week I took a step in the right direction,” McClelland said. “Hopefully, this next week I’ll step it up even bigger. It’s starting to come together.”

Seth Hackney, a senior thrower, won the shot put with a provisional distance of 55-03.75. The distance puts him at the top of the MIAA ranks. Seniors Evan Moore and Dustin Green followed Hackney in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Green earned a fourth place provisional distance of 170-09 in the discus, while sophomore Nicklas Polizzi was tenth.

Senior Michael Juergens placed second in the pole vault with a provisional height of 16-00.75 followed by freshman Brady Melugin and Junior Raymond Woldtvedt in fourth place. Senior John Lowe and Thomas followed in eighth and ninth place, respectively.