BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Trinity Track & Field opened the indoor season in style, breaking school records and securing spots in the NCCAA National Indoor Track & Field Championships during the Olivet Nazarene Holiday Invite on Saturday.
• A pair of school records fell in the field events, as sophomore Ivan Emde finished 4th in the men's Pole Vault. Emde cleared 13' 3.5" (4.05m) on his third and final attempt to break the Trinity record, previously held by Eric Lindemulder.
• Another sophomore in Quinton Boyd broke the indoor school record in the men's Shot Put; Boyd won the event on his fifth throw, reaching 47' 5.25" (14.46m).
• In addition to adding their names into the record book, Emde and Boyd were two of the five athletes to qualify for the NCCAA Championships, held in Cedarville, Ohio on February 9-10. In his first collegiate appearance, freshman sprinter Madison Moraga posted a time of 7.14 in the 60m Dash, reaching the finals of the event and finishing 8th.
• Dustin Hudak will make his first trip to the NCCAA Indoor Championships in the 800m Run, as the defending outdoor national champion qualified with a time of 1:57.43 to place 5th.
• On the women's side, Amanda Lichtenstein qualified for NCCAA nationals in two events. The senior posted a time of 8.07 in the 60m Dash prelims, then improved to 8.05 in the final to finish 5th and set a personal record. Lichtenstein then also reached the qualifying mark in the 200m Dash with a time of 26.86 to place 6th.
• In the distance events, Zac Maher earned the win in the Mile Run (4:33.30), while Jesus Portilla set a new personal best with a time of 5:05.82.
• Throwers Paige Stefanek and Ashlynn Lara set personal records in the women's Weight Throw; Stefanek threw for 36' 0" (10.97m) to finish 7th, while Lara cleared 34' 11.25" (10.65m) to earn 8th.
• Stefanek also set a P.R. in the women's Shot Put, with a toss of 30' 9.25" (9.38m) to place 6th.
• The Trolls will break for the rest of the semester, resuming the indoor season on January 20th at the Bumble Rumble hosted by St. Ambrose in Davenport, Iowa.
