CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - With sophomore Ben Boerma winning the men's 3000 meter run and 19 additional top-five finishes, the Anderson University men's and women's track and field teams opened their respective indoor seasons with strong outings on Saturday at North Carolina's Joe Hilton Open at the Eddie Smith Field House.
Boerma took the top spot in the 3000 meter in a time of 9:27.01, with teammate Ned Kennedy finishing fifth in a time of 9:50.46 and Michael Burch (10:14.22) placing eighth.
Freshman Anthony Aleruchi finished fourth in the weight throw with a distance of 8.51 meters and was fifth in the shot put with a toss of 11.56 meters. The men's one mile run saw freshman Mason Hazel take second place in a time of 4:31.75 and sophomore Jesse Patrick earn the eighth spot with a time of 4:54.10.
Freshman Christopher Burton finished fifth in the 200 meter dash, while teammates Joseph Siegwald (24:14) and T.J. Robinson (25:11) placed 14th and 16th, respectively. Sophomore Jonathan Shorter finished sixth in the 60 meter hurdles in a time of 9.89, with senior Joshua Visi-Clark claiming fifth place in the 800 meter run in a time of 2:05.08.
Freshman Caleb Stephenson led three Trojans in the 400 meter dash in a time of 53.33, while freshman Rashod Monts (53.51) and sophomore Eric Hoover (56.39) finished 12th and 13th, respectively.
The combination of Monts, Burton, Visi-Clark and Stephenson captured fourth in the 4x400 relay in a time of 3:37.13, with Shorter, Siegwald, Patrick and Hoover finishing in sixth place in a time of 3:48.40.
On the women's side, senior Savanna Keese captured second in the weight throw with a toss of 15.14 meters, with junior D'Yandra Morris taking sixth with a distance of 12.06 meters. Morris also brought home third in the shot put with a distance of 10.99 meters.
Senior Sydney Hazel paced three Trojans in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:28.23, while freshman Alex Dixon (2:29.85) and sophomore Bari Robinson (2:30. 05) were just behind in third and fourth, respectively.
Sophomore standout Sherin Malone placed third in the 60 meter hurdles in a time of 9.20, with Olivia Gardner taking third in the one mile run in a time of 5:24.91. The freshman duo of Taylor Morris (5:56.04) and Haylee Love (5:59.97) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
The sophomore trio of Grace Gerlock (11:34.33), Mia Swiersz (11:45.12) and Amber Worthy (11:49.20), along with freshman Allison Halperin (12:28.79) claimed the fourth through seventh slots in the 3000 meter run.
Malone, Dixon, Robinson and Hazel combined to finish fourth in the 4x400 meter relay in a time of 4:25.53, with Love, Morris, Gardner and freshman Ali Caldwell posting a time of 4:41. 97 to claim fifth place.
The Trojans now have two weeks to prepare for Clemson's Bob
Pollock Invitational on Jan. 23-24.
