Men’s Track and Field Records Four Fastest Qualifying Runs to Open MIAA Outdoor Championships

The Hope College men’s track and field team clocked four of the fastest qualifying times at the MIAA Outdoor Championships on Thursday at Alma College.

Senior Lucas Guidone (800 meters), junior Liam Danitz (200 meters), sophomore Dylan Terpstra (400 meters) and freshman Kevin Barifagok (400-meter hurdles) led the Flying Dutchmen with the top prelims performances in their respective events and advanced to the finals on Friday, May 2. 

Competition begins at noon with field events. Running finals are scheduled to start at 4:15 p.m.

Hope also earned a medal in the 3,000 meters on Thursday and is in fifth place after Day 1 with 20 points. Trine University leads the seven-team pack with 96 points.

In the 3,000 meters, senior Jonathan Harlow (Holland, Michigan / Home School) claimed silver by clocking a second-place run of 9:35.45. 

Two more of Harlow’s teammates also scored: sophomore Shane Pitcher (Saline, Michigan / Saline) in sixth at 10:02.12 and freshman Noah Norris (Ann Arbor, Michigan / Washtenaw Academy) in eighth with a PR of 10:06.15.

In the shot put, junior Caleb Paarlberg (Alto, Michigan / Caledonia) placed fifth after heaving a toss of 13.47 meters (44 feet, 2 ½ inches).

In the 10,000 meters, freshman Cooper Jacobsen (Grand Rapids, Michigan / First Hills Eastern) clocked a seventh-place run of 32:11.16. Junior Nile Devers (Gobles, Michigan / Gobles) was eighth at 32:24.05.

During prelims, Barifagok (Las Vegas, Nevada / Cristo Rey Saint Viator) posted a PR 53.78 seconds in the 400 hurdles, which was the 24th-fastest run in Division III this season. 

Two more of Barifagok’s teammates qualified for the final: freshman Logan Lipka (Frankenmuth, Michigan / Frankenmuth) in third at a PR 56.72 and senior Samuel Miller (Zionsville, Indiana / Zionsville) in fourth at a PR 56.68.

In the 800-meter run, three Hope runners advanced, led by 1-2 prelim finish from Guidone (Chicago, Illinois / Taft) with a season-best 1:54.66 and senior Lucas Guidone (Chicago, Illinois / Taft) in second 0.12 behind Guidone. Junior Carter Dean (Traverse City, Michigan / Traverse City West was seventh after a PR 1:55.71.

In the 400-meter run, two Flying Dutchmen qualified for the final. Terpstra (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) posted the fastest time during prelims at 48.74 seconds. Senior Joshua Ennen (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland West) also advanced, placing eighth at 50.23.

In the 200-meter run, two Flying Dutchmen advanced to the final. Danitz posted the top qualifying time at 21.75 seconds, edging Trine’s Zion Jackson by .01. junior Nolan Sanders (Midland, Michigan / H.H. Dow) was seventh at a season-best 22.44.

In the 100-meter run, two Hope runners qualified for the final: Danitz (West Branch, Michigan / Ogemaw Heights) in second at 10.76 seconds, 0.01 behind Jackson, and Sanders in seventh with a season-best 11.09.

In the 110 hurdles, Lipka qualified for the finals with a run of 15.49 seconds.