Sprinter Liam Danitz Bolsters Bid for Nationals with School-Record 200-Meter Run

Hope College sprinter Liam Danitz lowered his school record in the 200 meters and bolstered his bid to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships in the event this weekend at the University of Saint Francis (Illinois) Fighting Chance Invite.

The Flying Dutchmen recorded two more collegiate-best performances during the two-day meet: senior Derik Smith in the discus and junior Erickson Kunzler in the 800 meters.

Danitz (West Branch, Michigan / Ogemaw Heights HS) topped a 52-runner field in the 200 by clocking a collegiate-best time of 20.92 seconds.

The time ranks Danitz fifth in the nation. Senior David McNiff (Norton Shores, Michigan / Mona Shores) posted a collegiate-best 22.52 and placed 29th.

In the 100-meter final, Danitz finished fourth after clocking a run of 10.76 seconds. During preliminaries, Danitz had the second-fastest time at 10.55.

In the 4×400 relay, Hope clocked a fourth-place run as sophomore Dylan Terpstra (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville), senior Joshua Ennen (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland West), freshman Gavin Bush (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan / Birmingham Seaholm) and Danitz went 3:19.84.

In the 800 meters, Kunzler (Marne, Michigan / Catholic Central) won his invitational section by recording a run of 1:52.64. It was a collegiate-best for Kunzler and the team’s top performance in the event this season.

Senior Lucas Guidone (Chicago, Illinois / Taft) took sixth in another invitational section at 1:54.92.

In the 1,500 meters, freshman Logan Begeman (Portage, Michigan / Portage Central) finished 10th in the invitational section at 3:57.44.

In the discus, Smith (Niles, Michigan / Edwardsburg) placed fifth with a collegiate-best toss of 45.84 meters (150 feet, 5 inches). 

In the long jump, Smith took 10th with a 6.22 meters (20-5).