RESULTS

ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Calvin men's track and field team had a record-breaking Saturday at the GVSU Big Meet inside the Kelly Family Sports Center on Saturday.

Sophomore Abe VanDuinen (Pentwater, Mich./Pentwater HS) broke a 16-year old record Calvin record in the 800 meters, clocking in with a fourth place time of 1:53.65. His time broke the previous Calvin men's indoor track and field record of 1:54.49 set by Alex Wrobel in 2010.  The record was also notable for VanDuinen as it came after he had already placed 18^th in the 3,000 meters in a time of 8:45.65.

VanDuinen was part of a strong contingent of Calvin runners in the 800 meters with freshman Cody Aardsma taking 28^th with a season-best time of 1:57.75. Freshman Samuel Downing was 33^rd in a season-best time of 1:58.00. Freshman Jonas Church was 38^th in a personal-best time of 1:58.60 with freshman Jackson Meyers 49^th in 1:59.83.

Freshman Gavin Currie (Ada, Mich./Rockford HS) was 23^rd (9.01) and freshman Nolan Viviano (Macomb, Mich./Eisenhower HS) was 28^th (9.13). Freshman Hudson Shoup (Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Latin HS) was 59^th in the 60 meter dash (7.27).

In the 200 meter dash, sophomore Benjamin Habers (Lake Ann, Mich./Traverse City West) was 24^th in a season-best time of 22.59 with Shoup 45^th in a career-best time of 23.11. Viviano was 62^nd in a career-best time of 24.08.

Senior Connor Lubberts (Jenison, Mich./Jenison Hs) was 27^th in the 400 meters (50.43) with sophomore Alexander Nelson (Snow Hill, Md./Snow Hill HS) 51^st with a personal-best time of 52.28. 

Sophomore Jack DeKruyter (Holland, Mich./Zeeland West HS) was 34^th in the mile run with a personal-best time of 4:27.37 with senior Aaron Jahn (Shelby Twp., Mich/Utica HS) 56^th (4:40.06).

In the 3,000 meters, VanDuinen was followed by sophomore Pierce Bentley (Kalamazoo, Mich./Otsego HS) in 32^nd with a career-best time of 8:58.58. Freshman Kyler Dale (Urbana, Ind./Manchester Jr.) was 47th (9:08.01). Freshman Sam Abdalla (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern HS) took second in the high jump (6-3 ½) with freshman Eric Barancik (Montrose, Mich./Chesaning HS) ninth in a season-best mark of 6-1 ½.

Freshman Zach Hartemink (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) was fifth in the pole vault (14-3 ¼) with sophomore Nathan Bengelink (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian HS) eighth (13-3 ½). Sophomore Carson Arnould (Hudsonville, Mich./Zeeland West HS) was 17^th in the weight throw (46-7 ¼).

Calvin had a strong set of 4x400 meter relay performances. It's 'A relay team of Habers, Lubberts, Nelson and Meyers took seventh in an MIAA-leading time of 3:20.83. The time ranks 34^th on the NCAA III performance list. It's B' relay team of Viviano, Church, Samuel Downing (Zeeland, Mich./Zeeland East HS) and Aardsma took 13^th in a time of 3:33.38.

COACHES COMMENT: "A great day for Calvin track and field," said Calvin head track and field coach Adam Haldorson. "Abe VanDuinen deserves a special salute not just for breaking a school record but doing so in the way he did. He put a lot of effort into a 3K earlier in the meet and we were just hoping to see him put down a solid race in the 800. He did more than that. He showed a ton of grit and flashed a higher gear that we have not seen before. He has talent and determination. That's a great combination and we saw it on the track today. This meet was another boost for our program and we are looking forward to the coming weeks of competition."

NEXT UP: Calvin will send a group of athletes to compete in the first-ever MIAA Multi-Event Championships Monday and Tuesday at Alma College. Four members of the Calvin men's track and field program will compete in the two-day (seven event) heptathlon competition. The results will count into the final point totals in the full MIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for February 27 and 28 at Trine University.