Michael Ward Sets School Record to Highlight Day for Bradley Track

Missouri Valley Conference

Track & Field 3/29/2019 10:50:00 PM

The Bradley track teams began action at the Raleigh Relays and EIU Big Blue Classic on Friday with the men's 10,000m event highlighting the day for the Braves. The team clocked three of the four fastest times in school history with Michael Ward setting the program's record in North Carolina.

In his first collegiate attempt at the 10,000m on the track, Ward ran a time of 29:16.20 to top the previous school standard of 29:26.07 (set by Patrick Campbell in 2017) by nearly 10 seconds. The senior placed 18th of 42 in the meet's invitational heat, which also included some professional runners. Junior Jake Hoffert also surpassed the previous record and clocked the second-best time in school history at 29:24.74 – placing 22nd overall and topping his previous PR by more than 10 seconds.

Junior Luke Hoffert then followed in a later heat and became just the fifth Brave in school history to run the 10,000m in under 30 minutes, posting the fourth-best time in the BU record book at 29:55.88 as he placed eighth of 42 in his heat. Freshman Ben Wagoner also posted the 11th-best time with a mark of 30:31.75.

Sophomore McKenzie Altmayer led the BU women in North Carolina, clocking the program's second-fastest time in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 10:38.52. The sophomore shaved nearly 16 seconds off her PR from her rookie season, while just missing the school record by 1.59 seconds. Rookie Ayah Aldadah also ran the sixth-best time in school history in the event in 11:08.21.

In the men's 3,000m steeplechase, Haran Dunderdale finished second of 58 runners in the event, crossing the finish line in 8:50.95. The senior just missed the school record by 0.55 seconds, while falling five hundredths of a second shy of his own PR.

In the men's 1,500m, Ben Potrykus ran the 10th-best time in school history at 3:51.19, while senior Will Anderson clocked a time of 14:36.07 in the 5,000m and freshman Alec Danner ran a time of 14:51.56.

Junior Gabby Juarez recorded the ninth-best time in school history in the women's 10,000m with a mark of 36:22.60 in her first collegiate attempt at the distance, while classmate Abby Jockisch shaved more than 1:39 off her PR and posted the 11th-best time in school history at 36:33.24.

Niamh Markham and Brooke Nusser wrapped up the action at the Raleigh Relays and both just missed their PR by less than a second in the 1,500m. Markham clocked a time of 4:28.78, while Nusser followed in 4:37.53.

Bradley also competed at the EIU Big Blue Classic on Friday night with six Braves placing in the top 10 in the 5,000m run. Freshman Emma Ehrhardt crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 17:44.60 and was closely followed by sophomore Kirstin Oakley in second at 17:45.78. Morgan Lain and Arsinoe Del Real both posted PR times and placed seventh and 10th, respectively, in 18:21.76 and 18:41.73.

Sophomores Michael Hahndorf and Jon May led the BU men at Eastern Illinois. Hahndorf posted his PR by more than 11 seconds and finished fourth in 14:52.25, while May also clocked his best collegiate time in 15:25.86 to place ninth.

The Braves wrap up the two-day meets tomorrow.

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