Tracksters compete at Prairie Wolf and Bethany

The McPherson College indoor track team competed at the Prairie Wolf Invite in Lincoln, NE this past Friday. Home to one of the most technologically-sophisticated indoor tracks in the country, the team “competed well all-around,” according to head coach Bart Gray.

Preston Taylor turned in the team’s top two efforts by qualifying for the national tournament in the 60m and 200m dashes. He will join teammate Seth Cavenee, who recorded another national qualifying run in the 60m despite battling illness, at the national meet in March.

Taylor’s 60m dash time of 7.11 and 200m clip of 22.49 propelled him to a #11 nationally ranking, definitely the highlight of the weekend’s competition. Here is how some of the other track & field athletes fared:

Bryan Grosbach ran personal bests in the 5000m and 3000m. In the 5000 he shaved 53 seconds off his previous best time to run a 17:30. His 10:13 time in the 3000 was his fastest time as a collegian, too. “Bryan is going to be very good when he is a senior,” said Coach Gray. “He is progressing along nicely.”
Troy Hernandez recorded a personal best in the 600-yards and was part of the 4 x 400m relay team (Cavenee, Taylor, and Kris Smiley were the others) that recorded one of their best times of the season.
Of the nine throwers that made the trip to Nebraska, seven recorded personal bests.
Kelsey Hendricks shot put of 37 ½ feet was a personal best for her. “Kelsey threw well in the shot,” said Gray, noting he expects Hendricks to hit the 40’ mark by year-end.

“Right now we are young, but we are continuing to improve,” said Gray. “Our throwers and distance runners are probably our two strongest groups right now.”

On Saturday, seven throwers participated in a throwers meet at Bethany College. Assistant coach Dave Smith took to the team to the meet that saw five of the seven participants achieve personal bests in their events.

The team is in Manhattan this Saturday for the Kansas State Invite which is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m.

Prairie Wolf Invitational

February 13, 2004 – Lincoln, NE

MEN –

60m Dash – 12. Preston Taylor 7.11SB/PNQ; 14. Seth Cavenee 7.13=SB/PNQ; 29. Kris Smiley 7.37

200m Dash – 8. Preston Taylor 22.49PNQ; 21. Seth Cavenee 22.92SB; 48. Stacy Cavenee 26.01SB

400m Dash – 50. Stacy Cavenee 56.84

600yd Run – 15. Troy Hernandez 1:19.41SB; 21. Brad Cates 1:36.68SB

3,000m Run – 17. Bryan Grosbach 10:13.56

5,000m Run – 25. Bryan Grosbach 17:39.92SB

4 x 400m Relay – DQ. McPherson (Preston Taylor, Kris Smiley, Seth Cavenee, Troy Hernandez – approx. 3:24)

Shot Put – 33. Dan Hudachek 40-01.5SB; 36. Brandt Busse 38-07.5SB; 37. Val Thompson 34-06.25SB; 38. Scotty Phillips 27-06.5

35# Wt Throw – 35. Brandt Busse 40-03.25SB; 37. Val Thompson 36-00.75SB; 38. Dan Hudachek 35-08.5

WOMEN –

60m Dash – 23. Geralyn Hale 8.40

200m Dash – 45. Geralyn Hale 29.22

800m Run – 25. Deidre Frager 2:44.83SB

Shot Put – 26. Kelsey Hendricks 33-11.5; 32. Katie Atwater 27-08.75

20# Wt Throw – 37. Katie Atwater 35-09.5SB

Bethany College Throwers Meet

February 14, 2004 – Lindsborg, KS

MEN –

Shot Put – Brandt Busse 40-08SB; *Justin Ratliff (unattached) 34-10; Dan Hudacheck 33-08.5; *Hayden Owen (unattached) 33-04; Scotty Phillips 30-06SB

35# Wt Throw – Brandt Busse 38-01.5; Dan Hudachek 37-05; *Hayden Owen (unattached) 34-02; *Justin Ratliff 30-06; Scotty Phillips 30-00.5SB

WOMEN –

Shot Put – Kelsey Hendricks 36-08.5SB; Katie Atwater 29-09SB

20# Wt Throw – Katie Atwater 36-01SB