DAY ONE RESULTS / DAY ONE PHOTO GALLERY / DAY ONE PHOTO GALLERY #2

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Calvin men's track and field team had a strong day one showing at the MIAA Championships, crowning one individual league champion while placing qualifying several individuals for Friday's championship finals.

Calvin is hosting the 2024 MIAA Championships on its new track and field complex located inside the Gainey Athletic Complex Facility.

Through one day of competition, the Knights are in fourth place in the team standings with a score of 37 points, two points behind rival Hope. Trine leads the standings with 64 points with Albion second with 46 points.

Junior Luke Witvliet (Grandville, Mich./Calvin Christian HS) led the charge for the Knights, winning the 10,000 meter run with a time of 35:24.47. Witvliet was part of a 1-7-8 Calvin finish in the race with senior Caleb Gaffner (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian HS) taking seventh (36:19.21) and graduate student Clenon Fincher (Elmhurst, Il./Timothy Christian HS) placing eighth (36:31).

Calvin went 2-5-7 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with senior Eric Swinson (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern HS) placing second (9:33.78), senior Jacob Buit (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian HS) taking fifth (9:39.27) and freshman Noah Laslo (Oak Brook, Il./Timothy Christian HS) placing seventh (10:09.39).

Senior Matthew Toldy (Huron, Oh./Huron HS) had a big day in the hammer throw, achieving a career-best throw of 154-5 to take fourth place individually, marking his best individual finish at a conference championship meet. The throw was a personal-best by four meters. 

In the long jump, freshman Connor Johnson (Kingsley, Mich./Kingsley HS) took sixth place individually with a collegiate-best mark of 21-5 ½. Junior Wil Goodpaster (Hamilton, Mich./Hamilton HS) was seventh in the pole vault (12-11 ½).

In the sprint prelims, Calvin had a big performance in the 400 meters, advancing four individuals to Friday's championship finals. Junior Koby VanderWoude (Caledonia, Mich./Caledonia HS) had the second-best time of the prelims (49.11) with sophomore Connor Lubberts (Jenison, Mich./Jenison HS) taking fourth (49.44), freshman Mason Schimmel (Grand Rapids, Mich./Covenant Christian HS) fifth (49.63) and senior Corbin DeBoer (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian HS) seventh (49.90).

VanderWoude then qualified for the finals of the 200 meter dash, placing fifth with a career-best time of 21.97.

Freshman Bob Horton (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) took fifth in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 56.82 that was just off his personal-best of 56.56.

In the 110 high hurdles, freshman Zach Van Baren (Hudsonville, Mich./Covenant Christian HS) qualified for Friday's finals with a career-best time of 15.78 that was good for sixth place in the prelims.

COACHES COMMENT: "Really good day one," said Calvin head track and field coach Adam Haldorson. "I was very pleased with the way we competed, dropped times or pushed out marks or heights. We had some very good runs in the distance events with Luke Witvliet highlighting that crew. I thought our 400 meter dash runners were terrific and put us in a good position for tomorrow. I liked the way we ran in the hurdles and our field event people and stepped up with some key performances. Matthew Toldy had a big performance in the hammer throw. A four-meter PR was huge and an awesome outcome for him. We are looking forward to another day of competition tomorrow and are grateful to be competing at home."

NEXT UP: Field events begin at noon with races on the track set for 3:30 p.m.