Louisville City Wire

Record Setting Day at the SLIAC Indoor Championship

The Golden Eagles took on the rest of the conference in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Indoor Track and Field Championships. The men's team had a record high finish with a fourth place spot with 22 points and the women's team finished eighth with two points.

The field squad started off the championship day bright and early with the duo of Shyanne Hagan and Vivienne Reinhardt in the women's long jump as well as Wyatt Frye in the men's high jump. Hagan finished in eighth place with a jump of 3.65m (11' 11.75") and Reinhardt finished in ninth place with a personal record (PR) of 3.45m (11' 4"). Reinhardt's jump landed her third in program history. During the high jump, Wyatt Frye improved on his school record in the event. He ended up with a height of 1.68m (5' 6") and seventh place in the competition.

After the women's long jump concluded, the men's long jump took the runway. Spalding had the freshman duo of Ryan Clarkson and Erick Jenkins in the competitiion. Jenkins took 13th overall with a jump of 4.90m (16' 1") Clarkson put up a stellar performance with a jump of 5.54m (18' 2.25") and finished eighth on the day. Clarkson's jump landed him self a top-five mark which placed him fourth all time in school history. After the long jump finished, Jenkins took the runway again in the Men's triple jump. He had a stellar performance as well. Jenkins jumped a distance of 10.59m (34' 9") and finished fifth. His jump placed him the third farthest jump in school history.

When all of the field events concluded, the men's distance medley relay (DMR) took the track. The relay team of Frye, Clarkson, Gavin Janning, and Peter McGowan looked to medal in the event to secure points for Spalding. It was Frye who started the relay, he ran his 1200m leg in a time of 3:28.12 in first. Clarkson was next on the 400m leg he also finished his leg in the lead with a time of 54.3. He handed it off to Janning who ran the 800m leg. He dropped down to second place but wasn't far behind the leader running his leg in a new PR of 2:08.76. Janning handed it off to McGowan to anchor for the Golden Eagles where he ran the 1600m leg in a chase for gold. He was able to close the gap a little bit running a 4:41.2. But it wasn't enough to catch Perry from Greenville. The Golden Eagles where able to take home second as well as fourth all-time in the school's record book.

Sophomore Dawn Wilson and Reinhardt were next on the track. They both competed in the 60m hurdles. Wilson finished in a time of 10.92, a new PR and raced her way to a 6th place finish and is now ranked second all time in school history. Reinhardt was also able to squeeze her way to a top-five school history time. She ran a PR of 12.34 ranking her fifth all time in school history but finished seventh in the competition.

As Reinhardt stepped off the track, Wilson stayed and Hagan returned to run the 60m dash. Both came away from the race with a new PR. Wilson ran a time of 8.64 and finished ninth. While Hagan was not far behind where she ran a time of 8.82 and finished tenth. Wilson's time ranks her fourth all-time in school history.

Up next following the 60m dash was the men and women mile run. Frye returned to the track for the men while Lexie Barthmaier stepped on the track for the first time for the day for the women. Barthmaier was up first. She ran her event in a time of 6:38.79 and finished tenth for the day. Soon after Frye toed the line. He was in the front pack running his way to a third place finish in a time of 4:40.57 and barely missing out on second place.

Reinhardt, Clarkson, and Janning all took the track again for the 400m run. Reinhardt concluded her day with that event running in a new PR of 1:09.42. Her time just barley put her outside of the fifth time in school history. Reinhardt also finished seventh on the day. As for Clarkson and Janning, they ended up placing ninth and tenth with a time of 55.49 and 55.86 respectively.

Frye returned for the 800m run after a very short turn around. Frye was in the first of two heats for the meet. He finished first in his heat but finished eighth overall in a time of 2:11.06.

Wilson and Hagan returned to the track for their final event of the day, the 200m dash. Hagan finished ninth overall with a new PR of 29.7. While Wilson concluded her day with a tenth place finish in a time of 30.63.

The 3000m run was the penultimate event for the championship day and McGowan and Barthmaier were racing it for Spalding. With the women racing first, Barthmeir finished sixth overall nabbing points for the Golden Eagles and finished in a time of 13:43.07. For the men's race it was a classic sit and kick race. With the trio of Sakuma from Webster, Perry from Greenville, and McGowan all fighting for the second and third place position while Estrada cruised his way to the win. The main action didn't happen until there was 1000m to go when the tempo went from 38 seconds a lap to 36 seconds down to 33 seconds a lap. Ultimately McGowan finished fourth in the race with a new PR of 9:19.89 which was just a second short of a second place finish. McGowan's time put him barely outside the fifth fastest time in school history.

To conclude the day for the Spalding, the relay squad of Frye, Janning, Jenkins, and Clarkson took back to the track in the first heat of the 4x400. Frye started off the relay running on tired legs in a time of 59.198. He handed it off to Janning where he held the Golden Eagle's position in a time of 56.128. Janning then handed it off to Jenkins where he ran a time of 58.68. Clarkson anchored the relay after receiving it from Jenkins. Clarkson ended up closing in a time of 57.143. They finished second in their heat and fifth in the competition with a time 3:51.16, which placed the relay fourth fastest in school history.

NEXT FOR SPALDING

This concludes the indoor season for the Golden Eagles. The team will open up their outdoor season by traveling across town to NCAA Division I Bellarmine University. Spalding will be competing in the Jim Vargo Invitational on Friday, March 17. For further news and updates on the team you can follow them on Instagram @spaldingtfxc and on twitter @spaldingXC.

Original source can be found here.