RESULTS

HOLLAND, Mich. – The Calvin men's track and field grabbed a narrow day one lead in the team standings at the MIAA Championships presented by Collegiate Credit Union at Hope College. The Knights have 68 points, six points ahead of Trine and 16 points ahead of Hope.

Calvin crowned one event champion on Thursday with senior Ryan Sarkett (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair HS) winning the steeplechase in a season-best time of 9:35.60. The win came a year after he had placed fourth in the race at the 2025 MIAA Championships and marked a seven-second improvement. Sarkett was part of a 1-6 Calvin finish in the steeplechase with freshman Kyler Dale (Urbana, Ind./Manchester) taking sixth in a time of 9:54.29 with Dale racing past two competitors in the final 200 meters to move up.

Calvin had a big day in the long jump as the Knights went 2-3-4-5 in the event led by freshman Paul Hubbard (Southfield, Mich./Birmingham Grove HS) who took second with a season-best leap of 22-3 ½. Sophomore Rhys Bedford (Delton, Mich./Delton Kellogg HS) was third (22-0 ¾), junior Connor Johnson (Kingsley, Mich./Kingsley HS) fourth (21-8) and junior Luke Nguyen (Houston, Tx./Carl Wunsche Sr.) fifth (21-7 ¾). The event earned the Knights 23 points.

Calvin went 5-6 in the hammer throw with sophomore Carson Arnould (Hudsonville, Mich./Zeeland West HS) taking fifth with a career-best mark of 165-0 while freshman Alex Lutgring (Battle Creek, Mich./Pennfield HS) was sixth with a career-best mark of 161-0.

Freshman James McCoy (University City, Mo./Lutheran High School North) was fifth in the shot put (44-8 ¼).

Sophomore Nathan Bengelink (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian HS) was eighth in the pole vault (13-3 ¾).

In the 10,000 meters, Calvin picked up three points as sophomore Brewer Snay (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North HS) was seventh (32:23.52) and freshman Ian Reynolds (Littleton, Co./Denver Christian HS) eighth (32:28.93).

Calvin had a good day in the track prelims on Thursday.

In the 100 meter dash, freshmen Gabe Van Goor (White Lake, Mich./Clarkston HS) and Hudson Shoup (Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Latin HS) both qualified for Friday's championship finals with career-best times. Van Goor took fifth in the prelims in 10.91 with Shoup sixth in 10.93.

Calvin placed three in the finals of the 110 hurdles with Bedford second in the prelims (15.08), junior Zach Van Baren (Hudsonville, Mich./Covenant Christian HS) fourth (15.36) and junior Bob Horton (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) seventh (15.58).

Graduate student Koby VanderWoude (Caledonia, Mich./Caledonia HS) had the third-best 400 meter prelim time in 49.13 to advance to Friday's final. Senior Connor Lubberts (Jenison, Mich./Jenison HS) also advanced, taking seventh in the prelims in 50.07. VanderWoude also advanced to the championship finals in the 200 meters, nabbing the eighth and final place in the prelims with a time of 22.22.

Freshman Cody Aardsma (Dyer, Ind./Illiana Christian HS) advanced to the finals of the 800 meters, taking second out of the prelims in 1:55.54.

In the 400 meter hurdles, Calvin advanced three to the finals. Senior Jonathan Holloway (Lawton, Mich./Lawton HS) was second in a season-best time of 55.78 in the prelims with Horton fourth (56.26) and freshman Nolan Viviano (Macomb, Mich./Eisenhower HS) sixth (56.49).

TEAM STANDINGS THROUGH DAY ONE

Calvin 68
Trine 62
Hope 52
Olivet 43
Adrian 19
Alma 13
Kalamazoo 9
Albion 7

COACHES COMMENT: "A pretty solid day," said Calvin head track and field coach Adam Haldorson. "We had some up's and some down's but that is the typical nature of a conference championship meet. We have work ahead of us on Friday."

NEXT UP: The final day of the MIAA Championships will take place on Friday at Hope's Gordon Brewer Track and Field Complex beginning at noon.