Anderson Picks Up Three Wins in AU Indoor Invitational

The Anderson University men's track and field team picked up three wins in Saturday's AU Indoor Invitational at Kardatzke Wellness Center.

"All in all, it was a good day for the Ravens," Coach Sol Stephens said. "On both sides, we had event winners, which is always a plus. On the men's side, we're still figuring out what we're going to do with some of our slots, but the men are showing up every day and they are working as hard as they can. That's what we're asking for. It was definitely another positive step in the right direction for the group as a whole."

Kory Herget took first in the pole vault, clearing a personal-record (PR) height of 3.80 meters (12 feet, 5.5 inches). The De Soto, Mo. Native ranks sixth in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) in the pole vault.

Jair Adams sprinted to first in the 60-meter dash with a PR distance of 7.30 seconds.

Clayton Wilson raced to first in the 3,000 with a time of 9 minutes, 33.89 seconds.

Alphonso Blackwell posted a distance of 11.02 meters (36 feet, 2 inches) in the weight throw. The Gary native turned in a 0.63-meter (2-foot, 0.75-inch) improvement on his lifetime PR and a 2.21-meter (7-foot, 3-inch) improvement on his season best. Blackwell and assistant coach Felisha Johnson worked together on an approach that saw a large amount of progression.

"Coach Johnson has been working with Alphonso, he's been showing up, he's been believing in what she's been trying to get him to do and the results are there."

Zharquan Whie fired the shot put a season-best 10.53 meters (34 feet, 6.75 inches).

Adams earned second in the long jump with a leap of 5.75 meters (18 feet, 10.5 inches).

The Ravens fielded a 4x400 relay of Kaid Hutchinson, Adams, Kaleb Gucinski and Dahaven Rayner, which secured second.

Ian Leatherman claimed second (4:37.13) in the 1 mile.

Gucinski crossed the finish line third (3:03.74) in the 1,000.

Will Winston charged to third in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.54 seconds.

Drew DeBoer captured third in the shot put with a distance of 11.39 meters (37 feet, 4.5 inches).

Anderson alumnus Tyler Barker took third (10:46.25) in the 3,000.

"I couldn't be more pleased with the fellowship and the comradery of the men and the women combined. Of all things right now, that is what I'm most pleased with. This is what a team, a family, the Ravens should symbolize and that's what they're giving me. Everything is a growth process day-by-day and the group as a whole is displaying those properties that we ask from them and I'm a proud coach. I'm happy with the group. We definitely took a step in the right direction."

The Ravens battle in the Small College Invitational next Friday at 6 p.m. in Greencastle. Anderson continues to progress toward the HCAC Championships on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. in Terre Haute.

"Like I said last week, the results may not always show 10 through one in scale of the points, but all of the results matter because our sport is you against yourself. It was a good day for the men. We'll get back to the drawing board, keep working on some things and see how it all unfolds putting our feet together forward step-by-step to be ready for this indoor conference meet at Rose-Hulman."