DES MOINES, Iowa – The Black Hills State University men's and women's track & field teams traveled east to Iowa to compete at the Jim Duncan Invitational on Saturday, and came away with a total of 13 top-5 finishes on the Blue Oval of Drake Stadium. Highlighting the weekend's action was the second place finish in the women's 4x400 relay as the team posted the eighth-fastest time in program history. Additionally, it was a trio of women's javelin athletes that secured three of the seven top-5 finishes by the women's program. On the men's side, it was the 4x100 relay team that clocked the eighth-fastest time in program history in the event with a third place finish, while Trennan Pearson and Chase Maher notched third place finishes individually in the high jump and pole vault respectively. Concluding his weekend on the west coast, Conor McGraw finished with three more top-10 finishes in the decathlon against high-major NCAA Division I competition at the Bryan Clay Multis.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MEN'S TRACK & FIELD AT BRYAN CLAY MULTIS

• Conor McGraw began the second day of the Bryan Clay Multis with his fourth top-10 finish of the weekend in section C, posting a ninth place finish in the 110m hurdles with a season-best time of 16.15 in the 110m hurdles.
• His best finish of the weekend occurred with a second place finish and mark of 40.38m (132' 5") in the discus throw.
• Following the back-to-back top-10 finishes to begin the day, he cleared 3.70m (12' 1.5") for 12^th place in the pole vault in his first time competing in the event this outdoor season.
• McGraw concluded his weekend on the west coast with his sixth top-10 finish and third of the day, notching a mark of 41.87m (137' 4") for tenth place in the javelin throw.
• He did not compete in the final event of the decathlon, the 1,500m run, and ended the weekend 14^th place in section C with 5,671 points in a group of 16 that consisted of 12 NCAA Division I athletes. 

HOW IT HAPPENED – MEN'S TRACK & FIELD AT JIM DUNCAN INVITATIONAL

• Black Hills State began the day with a third place finish in the 4x100 relay by the team of Jace Johnson, Ashley Williams, Jude Guevara, and Mason Sartain, as they ran to the eighth-fastest time in school history with a 42.35.
• Clocking a career-best time of 3:57.93 in the 1,500m run and rounding out the top-5 in the event was Addison Red Fox, while also rounding out the top-10 with another career-best was Caden Strasser with a time of 4:00.64.
• Jayden Curtis added another top-10 finish with a time of 15.73 for ninth place as the lone Yellow Jacket in the event.
• A week after running to the second-fastest time in program history in the 100m dash, Sartain clocked another sub-11 second time as he crossed the finish line 12^th with a time of 10.93. Also competing in the event was Isaac Job who ran to a time of 11.79 for 22^nd place.
• In the 800m run, Red Fox was the highest finishing BHSU athlete in 22^nd place with a season-best time of 1:57.22. Rounding out the Green & Gold in the event was Drew Lehman with a time of 2:02.13 for 32^nd place and Strasser with a time of 2:03.92 for 34^th place.
• Johnson led a trio of Yellow Jackets in the 200m dash, running to a time of 22.27 for 12^th place. Close behind was Sartain who was 18^th place with a season-best time of 22.55, and Williams who was 25^th place with a season-best time of 23.49.
• Marcos Valerio notched a top-10 finish in the 5,000m run, posting a season-best time of 15:21.95 for tenth place. Following just seconds behind in 12^th place was David Standish who crossed the finish line with a career-best time of 15:27.83.
• Wrapping up the day on the Blue Oval, Landrum Wiley earned a top-10 finish in the 3,000m steeplechase, running to a career-best time of 9:41.86 for ninth place. A few spots just outside of the top-10, Alberto Spotted secured a 13^th place finish with a career-best time of 10:03.38.
• The duo of Ryan Baker and Anthony Rosenstrauch finished 12^th and 13^th respectively with throws of 42.58m (139' 8") and 42.25m (138' 7") in the discus.
• Rounding out the top-5 in the triple jump, Casen Willson recorded a mark of 12.47m (40' 11") for a fifth place finish. The pair of Javin Walker and Guevara also added top-10 finishes, notching jumps of 12.24m (40' 2") and 11.98m (39' 3.75") for sixth and seventh place respectively.
• Once again, the top finisher in the pole vault for BHSU, Chase Maher posted a third place finish as he cleared 4.55m (14' 11"). Also, within the top-5 on the day was Shane Karajanis who cleared a height of 4.40m (14' 5.25") for fifth place.
• The lone high jumper for the Yellow Jackets in Des Moines was Trennan Pearson, who cleared a career-best outdoor height of 1.90m (6' 2.75") for a third place finish.
• Barren Yellow Bird earned a top-10 finish in the javelin throw, notching a mark of 44.89m (147' 3") for ninth place. Then finishing just outside of the top-10 in 11^th place was Logan Class, who posted a throw of 38.84m (127' 5").
• The duo of Curtis and Seth Wilson scored top-10 finishes in the long jump, recording marks of 6.36m (20' 10.5") and 6.13m (20' 1.5") respectively for eighth and ninth place. Rounding out the three BHSU athletes in the event and finishing just outside of the top-10 in 11^th place was Bridger Anderson with a mark of 6.09m (19' 11.75").

HOW IT HAPPENED – WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD AT JIM DUNCAN INVITATIONAL

• In the 400m dash, Gracie Wilts recorded a time of 1:03.46 for 17^th place in her collegiate debut in the event.
• The pair of Jillian Brennan and Norah Entzi ran to 17^th and 19^th place finishes in the 800m run with career-best times of 2:19.74 and 2:20.79 respectively.
• Kendall Tietjen notched a top-5 finish in the 400m hurdles, running to a time of 1:02.64 for fourth place, while Carlie DeBoer added top-10 finish as she clocked a time of 1:05.23 for a ninth place finish.
• Securing a top-10 finish with a career-best time of 18:33.22 was Sierra Hopp as she placed seventh in the event. Also competing was Gracie Craig who posted a career-best time of 18:42.55 for 13^th place.
• Rounding out the events on the track, the 4x400 relay team of Saraya Afrank, Wilts, Brennan, and Tietjen ran to a second place finish and the eighth-fastest time in program history as they clocked a 3:58.15 to close out the day in Des Moines.
• Christianna Wall snatched a top-10 finish in the shot put, recording a mark of 10.56m (34' 7.75") for tenth place in the event. Finishing close behind and just outside of the top-10 in 11^th place was KyleeJo Symonds with a throw of 10.15m (33' 3.75").
• BHSU notched a trio of top-10 finishes in the discus throw, led by Cassidy Goddard who was sixth with a mark of 40.27m (132' 1"). Rounding out the group in the event was Isabell Higgins and Wall who were seventh and eighth with throws of 38.38m (125' 11") and 36.63m (120' 2") respectively. Wall's mark in the event set a new career-best.
• The pair of Gretchen Adamski and Erin Weibel continued to push each other in the pole vault as they each cleared a height of 3.30m (10' 10"). Adamski cleared the height on her first attempt to secure a third place finish, while Weibel cleared the height on her second attempt for a fifth place finish.
• Higgins added another top-10 mark in the hammer throw with a mark of 41.04m (134' 8") for eighth place in the event, while Symonds was 14^th with a throw of 33.35m (109' 5").
• Highlighting the field events for the Green & Gold were three top-5 finishes in the javelin throw, led by Alivia Weathers with a second place finish and mark of 36.81m (120' 9") to tie a season-best distance. Rounding out the top-5 was Jada Guptill with a fourth place throw of 27.55m (90' 5") and Wall with a fifth place throw of 27.43m (90' 0").
• Afrank, who was the lone Yellow Jacket competing in the long jump, added a 14^th place finish in the long jump as she recorded a mark of 4.87m (15' 11.75").

UP NEXT
It will be a busy upcoming week for the Black Hills State University track and field program as they are set to compete in four meets, including a trio in California. The west coast swing begins at the Bryan Clay Invitational which is held from April 16-18 in Azusa, California, then the ULV Leopard Invitational will be held April 17-18 in La Verne, California, and the action concludes at the Mt. SAC Relays which will be held April 17-19 in Walnut, California. Athletes who do not make the trip to California will compete at the Bauer Open in Rapid City on April 18.