The men’s track and field team started off the outdoor season with a trip to Nevada and California.

“It was a pretty beneficial trip. We picked up six provisionals and right after indoor, it proves that we just might make it through the outdoor season,” Head Coach Tom Rutledge said.

The Lions opened the outdoor season at the University of The Redlands on March 15, where they picked up nine wins.

Senior thrower Dustin Green took home first place in the hammer and the discus, while earning third place in the shot put. Green received provisionals in all three events.

Sophomore thrower Nicklas Polizzi placed second in the discus following with a distance of 147-11, Polizzi also placed third in the hammer.

Thrower Seth Hackney placed first in the shot put with a provisional distance of 54-10.25.

Senior Evan Moore followed in second in the event with a provisional distance of 54-05.25.

“I threw OK. We had a lot of fun, it was a good facility to be in, but there weren’t enough schools to compete against,” said Polizzi.

The Lions’ 4X100-meter relay team of Erron Holley, Jeff Fraley, Clark Tanksley and Anthony Price took home the time in the event with a provisional time of 41.59.

Tanksley earned first place in the high jump with a high of 6-6. Sophomore jumper Darion Boure earned first place in with a distance of 23-2.50 in the long jump.  

Fraley won the 100-meter dash with a provisional time of 10.48, while Price earned the title in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.03.

The following day, the Lions earned five more titles at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Invite.

Hackney won the shot put with a provisional distance of 54-11.50 followed by Green with a provisional of 54-06.00 and Moore in third place with a provisional distance of 53-03.75. Green also earned the title in the discus with a provisional distance of 167-05 followed by Polizzi.  

Thrower Zach Williams earned second place in the javelin.

Boure took home the title in the triple jump with a provisional distance of 48-06.75 and placed fourth in the long jump.

Tanksley won the high jump with a distance of 6-06.75, while also winning the long jump with a distance of 23-00.50.

On March 30 the Lions competed at the Wendy’s/ PSU open at Pittsburg State University.

Senior pole vaulter Michael Juergens took second place in the pole vault at a provisional height of 16-5.5. The Lions’ 4X100 ran a provisional time of 41.11 for a third place finish.  Senior jumper JJ Jones won the triple jump with a distance of 46-7.25.

Moore took third in the hammer and second in the shot put, followed by Hackney earning third in the shot put. Polizzi was second in the discus.

“The outdoor season is going to be over before you know it. We’ve only got three weeks before conference,” Rutledge said.

“That really did throw a monkey wrench at us.”