<ack and field team traveled to Winona, Minnesota Saturday to compete at the St. Mary’s Open. The Knights collected three individual victories, setting two track records in the process.
Charlie Gamble ’10 started a new winning streak, leading the 5,000 meters from start to finish and breaking 15 minutes for the first time on an outdoor track, running 14:51.75.
Despite repeated pleas from assistant coach Josh Schoen to be patient on the first lap, Gamble lit up the track with a 66-second opening quarter-mile. Already 20 meters ahead of the field, the senior settled down, still hitting the 1600 in 4:36 and the 3200 in 9:26.
Gamble’s time is the fastest ever run at St. Mary’s track, and the third-fastest in the conference this year. Bobby Davis ’13 also ran an o utstanding PR of 15:48.14 for sixth place.
In the 800 meters, Michael Sanders ’10 proved he does not need a particularly good start to win and set a track record. The captain had to fight for position in the first 200 meters, but still ran 56 for the first lap and stopped the clock at 1:55.56 for the win.
Sanders led the last half of the race, after some rabbit took an absurd lead in the early going.
The third victorious Knight was Chas Karch ’13, who earned his first collegiate victory in the 10,000 meters, running 35:16.24. The Madison, Wisconsin native and Green Bay Packers fan took the lead early and ran solo.
Karch remains undefeated in his career at 10,000 meters, and has openly challenged the entire MIAC.
Ty Martin ’11 did not win an event but enjoyed perhaps the best meet of any Carleton athlete. First, Martin ran 15.72 into the wind in the 110 high hurdles prelim, advancing to the finals.
In the finals, the wind died down briefly, as if to say “Ty, you had better run a ridiculously fast time right now.” That he did, hurdling to a 15.38 PR to finish second. And his day was far from over.
Returning to the track for the 400-meter hurdles, Martin ran yet another PR, clocking 57.15 to shave over a second off his previous best and finish sixth. Finally, in the meet’s last event, he ran an outstanding leg of the 4×400 relay, carrying the baton for just 51.9 seconds.
Jordan Butler ’13, the only member of the team with a green laundry loop, also split 51.9 on the relay, after running a 52.49 PR in the open 400 to finish seventh.
In the 1500 meters, Kian Flynn ’12 led the Knights with his fourth consecutive 4:12. The Otis, Oregon native ran 4:12.02 at last year’s Rolex Classic, then 4:12.69 in the MIAC prelim. This season, he has run 4:12.53 at the Hamline Invite and now 4:12.56 at St. Mary’s.
In the first section, Colin Sinclair ’11 devastated the field with his finishing kick, which put him second in a season-best 4:19.58. He will run the 1500 two more times before conference.
Reid McMurry ’13 and Michael Knudson ’11 were close behind, finishing third and fourth in 4:20.30 and 4:25.59, respectively. Knudson ran a personal best despite not having any Oles in the race to kick down.
C.J. Dale ’13 continues to jump farther than most people. This time it was the triple jump that went best, and Dale landed a mark of 12.55 meters, finishing seventh.
The Knights will compete tomorrow at the Gustavus Adolphus Invitational. Tuesday, they will battle for the coveted broken watch at the Rolex Classic at St. Olaf.
These meets are the final tune-ups and qualifying opportunities before the MIAC Championships, when they will travel back to St. Mary’s for the two-day meet.
-Chris Marsahll is a member of the men’s track team.
