<rleton College men’s track and field team took part in its first full-squad meet of the outdoor season, and under sunny skies the Knights turned in several spectacular results.
Hart Hornor (Jr./Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt) and Jonah Barry (Jr./Madison, Wis./Madison West) got things going for the Knights as the duo both set personal bests and dominated the field in running to a 1-2 finish in the 5000-meter run. Their times of 14:41.64 and 14:42.55 not only paced the 57-runner field but also rank 13th and 14th in the nation.
The first field event of the day went nearly as well for Carleton as pole vaulter Evan McNeil (Sr./Burnsville, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) set a personal record and missed the school record by a half inch when he cleared 15 feet, 1 inch. That matched the top height cleared on the day.
Then it was Jerry Cook-Gallardo’s (Fy./Moscow, Idaho/Moscow) turn to shine. Competing in his first collegiate 1500-meter race, the Carleton rookie bested four Division I athletes from the University of Minnesota as he won the event and posted the fastest time in the MIAC so far this season—3:53.57—which ranks him No. 5 nationally.
The fireworks were not over yet as senior co-captain Colby Seyferth (Sr./Banks, Ore./Banks) stepped onto the track to contest the 400-meter dash. He improved his MIAC-leading time to 47.70 in winning the event in meet-record time. This also ranks him No. 2 nationally and breaks the 23-year-old school record established by Gerard Cote (48.05 in 1992).
Cook-Gallardo and Seyferth returned to the track later in the day, and both turned heads once again. Cook-Gallardo placed third in the 800-meter in 1:53.76, and Seyferth established a PR with his time of 22.28 in the 200-meter dash, good for second out of 76 contestants.
Seyferth later teamed with Jack Percival (Jr./Newport Coast, Calif./Sage Hill School), Arnaud Kpachavi (Sr./San Gregorio, Calif./Woodside Priory School), and Noah Laack-Veeder (Sr./Madison, Wis./LaFollette) to win the 4×400 relay in a MIAC-leading time of 3:20.17.
In the other relay, the 4×100, Carleton’s entrant of Ian Reeves (Sr./Berkeley, Calif./The College Preparatory School), Evan Howard (Jr./St. Petersburg, Fla./Home School), Seyferth, and Alexa Feeney (Fy./St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) placed fourth with a time of 43.34.
Jack Buckner (Fy./ Seattle, Wash./Northwest) almost pulled out the javelin victory in his first collegiate endeavor, throwing a distance of 50.93 meters (167′ 1″) to place second overall.
In the jumping events, Dwight Alexander (Fy./ Lawrenceville, N.J./ Lawrenceville) established a personal best in the long jump, measuring 6.45 meters (21’ 2”) to place seventh. Maurice Hicks (Fy./Upper Marlboro, Md./Maret) joined Alexander in the triple jump where the duo placed third and fifth, respectively.
Nick Fredrickson (Fy./Winthrop Harbor, Ill./St. Joseph) had a successful start to his collegiate track and field career by opening up with a discus throw of 37.98 meters (124′ 7″).
Next week will be hectic for the coaching staff as the Knights will have representation at three meets in as many days. Some will compete at the Tom Cat Twilight on Thursday at St. Thomas. Then there is a Friday afternoon meet at University of Wisconsin La Crosse. The Knights then host the Carleton Relays on Saturday, April 18. Knights Online hopes to once again provide live video coverage of the Carleton Relays.