By: Ace Hunt
ANDERSON, Ind. — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's track and field delivered a strong all-around performance Saturday, highlighted by a new school record from
Tristin Benskin in the weight throw, a winning NAIA-qualifying effort from
Jerahmia Smith in the shot put, and a
third-place team finish.
The Pomeroys totaled
121.5 points, finishing third overall behind Anderson (154.5) and Union (133) in the team standings.
Benskin etched his name into the SMWC record books in the
men's weight throw, launching a school-record mark of
16.22 meters (53-02.75) to claim first place. The mark also stood as a personal best, adding 10 points for the Pomeroys.
Lane Milner added a third-place finish at
14.22 meters, while Smith placed seventh.
Smith continued the momentum in the
shot put, capturing first place with a throw of
16.64 meters (54-07.25). The mark exceeded the
NAIA 'B' Standard, strengthening Smith's national qualifying position. Benskin followed closely with a runner-up finish, while
Eli Cox and Milner added fourth- and sixth-place efforts, respectively, as SMWC stacked valuable team points.
On the track,
Brandyn Bobo impressed in the sprints, qualifying for the finals in the
60 meters before finishing seventh overall. Bobo also placed fourth in the
200 meters, scoring five points.
Quaion Russell added points in both the 200 and 400 meters, while
Devon Bowe rounded out the sprint group.
The Pomeroys showed depth in the middle-distance events, led by
Elijah Williams, who finished second in the
600 meters.
Jaryn Patterson,
Evan Polley,
James Frye, and
Ethan DeHamer all contributed scoring finishes across the 600 and 1000 meters.
Nathan Odle and
Jayden Hickenbotham turned in strong performances in the
mile, finishing second and fourth, respectively.
In the field events,
Abbott Church scored in both the long jump and triple jump, while Patterson added points with a fourth-place finish in the
pole vault.
SMWC capped the day with a strong showing in the
4x400-meter relay, as the team of Russell, Patterson, Polley, and Williams finished second with a time of
3:41.82.
Men's Team Scores
- Anderson (Ind.) — 154.5
- Union (Ky.) — 133
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods — 121.5
- Oakland City — 104
- IU Columbus — 48
- Earlham — 27
- Sentry Running Club — 14
Next Up:
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods will compete at the
River States Conference Indoor Championships on
Feb. 20–21 in
Marietta, Ohio.
