The Kentucky Wesleyan Track & Field team traveled across the state to compete in the EKU Rick Erdmann Twilight Meet on Saturday. This meet is the final one of the regular season for the Panthers, as their next time on the track will be the G-MAC Championships in two weeks.
As has happened many times this season, multiple personal bests were set at this meet. Running in the 800, Sarah Vanderhoof didn’t just set a personal best, but was the fastest Wesleyan finisher, coming through with a time of 2:24.58 to take 14th overall. Abigail Lesniak (2:24.97) and Kate Keller (2:26.43) finished just behind her in 16th and 20th. Bethany Bonanni ran a new all-conditions personal best time of 13.80 in the 100m dash. The wind speed of +4.4 disqualifies this time from being a true personal best.
The 4x400m relay team consisting of Jenna Burns, Havanah John, Karyn Williams, and Claire Lange nearly set a new school record, coming just two seconds shy of the mark with a time of 4:03.62, good fourth overall. Although they didn’t set personal bests, Claire Lange and Karyn Williams each competed extremely well in their individual events. Lange ran a time of 1:06.58 to take fourth in an extremely competitive 400m hurdles field, while Williams jumped a distance of 10.55m (34-07.50) in the triple jump to also take fourth.
On the men’s side, freshman Arthur Powell IVshined, taking 10th out of 43 competitors in the 100m dash with a new all-conditions personal best time of 10.86 (+4.8 wind). His 200m was equally impressive, as he took 15th with a time of 22.41. Zach Hardin broke his own personal record by nearly two second in the 800, running a time of 2:05.58 to take 33rd out of 71 athletes. Matt Wilson, who normally shines in the shot put, set a new personal best of 35.74m (117-03) in the discus throw to take 14th in the event. Wilson threw the shot a distance of 14.09m (46-02.75) on his final throw to become the third KWC athlete to take fourth in an event.
Both Panther squads will be back in action on Wednesday-Friday, May 3-5 in Ashland Ohio for the G-MAC Championships.
