Highlighted by top finishes by freshmen Jacob Korir and Sammy Kiprotich, the men’s track and field team traveled to Hillsdale to compete in the Hillsdale Relays this weekend.

Korir and Sammy finished in first and third place in the 5,000-meter run, respectively.

“I am really pumped. Sammy and Jacob finished above the two Eastern Runners, Neal Naughton and Curtis Vollmer, which is a big deal,” said junior distance runner Donnie Richmond. “Vollmer was the 5k indoor champion and they both beat him in that meet.”

Coach Jim Knapp is very pleased with the progress of his team after a competitive meet like the one this weekend.

“We get better and better each week,” Knapp said. “Matt Kaczor is doing a super job with our distance group, and they are really starting to come around, and they are really peaking at the right time.”

Aside from Korir and Kiprotich, two other Chippewas scored top five finishes. Senior Joe Mielke in the high jump and Richmond in the 10,000m both placed second in their events.

“I was really happy about the place,” Richmond said. “I beat some good runners, so I was happy about that.”

It was only the second time Richmond competed in the 10,000m race in his career.

“I ran my first one in Tennessee, which I actually ran faster, but that was perfect conditions,” Richmond said. “Even though my time was better in Tennessee, I think that I ran a better race in Hillsdale. It was probably one of the better track races I have run in my life, even though the time doesn’t really reflect it.”

Knapp said the meet would include a number of interesting races that would be exciting to both watch and compete in.

“There was some incredible people – it was a real thrill,” he said. “The good thing with track and field is there is a barometer on everything we do. There was some incredible word-class talent on the track but it all boils down to what you do.”

For freshman Jeffrey Maxfield, running in this meet placed him in front of his home crowd in Hillsdale. Maxfield is from Hillsdale and had family and friends on hand to cheer him on.

“I was happy for him to go home and run in front of his family and his friends,” Knapp said. “A track is a track, but being at home with family definitely had to add something to it for him.”

Mielke said Central Michigan can make a run for a Mid-American Conference championship.

“I think from what I have seen lately, I am pretty excited for the MAC and I think we will have a good standing in it,” he said.

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