Jon De Haan took home a first place finish in the javelin to highlight the Dordt University men's track and field results on day one of the Red Raider Open held this afternoon at Northwestern College. Day two on Saturday will begin around 11am with the discus.
De Haan, one of four Defender athletes to earn a top 10 finish on a cold, blustery day of competition, recorded a season-best toss of 54.08m on his first throw of the prelims and won the javelin by over 20m. The toss bettered his previous personal best by nearly one meter and puts the freshman fourth all-time in program history. De Haan currently has the third best mark in the GPAC and is less than a meter off the 'B' standard.
Josiah Merkle recorded his second consecutive top 10 finish in the hammer, placing ninth overall with a toss of 41.79m, a mark achieved on his first attempt. Merkle's throw ranks seventh best all-time in program history.
Peter Shippy and
Thaniel Schroeder finished second and third, respectively, in today's 5000m. Shippy crossed the finish line with a time of 15:26, less than a second behind the overall winner (Josh Martin - Northern State). Schroeder clocked a time of 15:42; with their times, both Defenders now currently rank among the top 10 in the GPAC.
Three Defenders, De Haan, Merkle and
Ben Van Eps, had personal best marks today, all in the javelin. Van Eps bettered his previous best by over seven meters.
Defenders In The Top 10:
