Three distance runners added to list of MAC Championship qualifiers


kdw-011714-cmutrack-1307
Ethan Lievense, Nate Ghena , Spencer Nousain and Ben Wynsma lead the pack as the CMU mens 1600 runners claimed the top five spots in the run.

With two weeks until the Mid-American Conference Championship meet, the Big Meet at Grand Valley State was the second-to-last chance for Central Michigan track and field members to automatically qualify.

Three athletes qualified for the MAC Championship at this meet. Senior Nate Ghena and sophomore Kirsten Olling both qualified in the 3000-meter run and junior Silas DeKalita qualified in the 5000-meter run.

“We got some things accomplished,” said Head Coach Mark Guthrie. “ But you’re always looking for more, you’re never really satisfied.”

Olling and Ghena, along with the other athletes on the team that have hit the MAC qualifying standards for their events, will not participate in next week’s meet — also held at GVSU.

Any runner who has not met the qualifying standard in their event will have one last shot at it next Friday.

“For those who haven’t (qualified), we will try to put them in a position where they will be able to take one last shot at (qualifying) next week,” Guthrie said. “We’d like to take as many (athletes) as we can.”

On Friday, CMU had 19 top-five finishes in the meet that featured over 60 programs. Opposing teams included MAC opponents Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan as well as Big Ten school Michigan State.

Women’s top-five finishes:

Sophomore Kirsten Olling placed fifth in the 3000-meter run with a time of 9:47.16, which qualifies her for the MAC Championship.

Freshman Samantha Cuneo (55.48) finished in second place in the 400-meter dash.

Fellow sophomores Rebekah Petty and McKenzie Wieber finished tied for third place with Eastern Michigan’s Natalie Uy with a jump of 3.66-meters in the pole vault.

Senior Devene Brown threw for 15.25 meters in the shot put, good enough for third place.

Junior Kelly Ross finished fourth in the 800-meter (2.11.14)

Junior Kylee Dobbelaere (17.73 meters) finished in fourth place in the weight throw.

Senior Shaya Wilkerson jumped 11.65 meters in the triple jump which was good enough for fourth place.

Senior Tina Davis placed fifth in the 200-meter hurdles with a time of 24.73 seconds.

Men’s top-five finishes:

Senior Nate Ghena ran a 8:23.74 in the 3000-meter run, earning fifth place and qualifying for the MAC Championship.

Senior Cole Walderzak (21.17 meters) and junior Dylan Banagis (19.90 meters) finished in first and second in the weight throw.

Senior Diavonte Smith (6.79 meters) finished in second place in the long jump.

Freshman Kevin Weiler (17.49 meters) finished in second, followed by Walderzak (16.78) in fifth in the shot put.

Placing fourth in the 200-meter dash was sophomore Lorenzo Wells with a time of 21.90 seconds.

Junior Tony Armstrong, sophomore Sam Wagner, and Eastern Illinois’ Eric Gordon all tied for fourth in the pole vault, jumping 4.70 meters.

Junior Ziemowit Dutkiewicz (47.93) finished fourth in the 400-meter run.

Junior Melvin Harris finished in fourth in the high jump, jumping 2.02 meters.

Share: