By: Connor Gulick, Head Cross Country Coach

The Beavers made the trek down to Denison University for the Bob Shannon Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 7, and through the tough competition the Beavers competed with the best of them.

The men's team finished the meet 10th, scoring 25 points led by two event winners on the day with sophomore Hassan Greene (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Snyder) winning the triple jump with a leap of 12.93 and freshman Quince Reese (Killeen, Texas/Ellison) winning the 60 Hurdles with a new PR time of 8.81. Other scorers were Devin Homan (Dayton/Stebbins) who ran a PR in the 400 with a time of 53.14 which placed 6th in the meet and qualified him for the HCAC Championships. Sophomore Jalen Jackson (Memphis, Tenn./Ridgeway) took 8th in the 60 meter with a PR of 7.18, qualifying him for the HCAC Championships. Other PR's from the sprints squad included freshmen Deontai Gholson (Trotwood/Trotwood-Madison) in the 60 with a time of 7.54 and the 200 with a time of 25.02 and sophomore Keith Dailey (Moody, Texas) in the 60 with a time of 7.67 and the 200 with a time of 26.10.

On the distance side, sophomore Malcolm Hudson (Villa Rica, Ga.) improved on his 800 on the season, running 2:18.07 while just narrowly missing his PR from last season.

The throws side saw a ton of PR's in the shot put as freshman Bryson Taylor (New Orleans, La./Abramson Tech Charter) led the charge with a throw of 11.82. Freshman Tony Smith (Toledo/Sylvania Southview) also saw a PR as he hit a mark of 11.62 in the event, while fellow freshman Jose Garcia (Deshler/Leipsic) hit a massive PR, throwing nearly a meter PR with a throw of 11.36. Freshman Jordyn Diaz (Ypsilanti, Mich.) also had a big PR throwing 7.66 for shot put. Freshman Thomas Sharper (Sumter, SC) hit a new PR in the weight throw with a mark of 6.91. "Not every throw was a PR, but every throw mattered and everyone really fed off one another," Coach Kenny Equitz quipped on how his squad performed.

The women finished 12th, scoring 10 points on the day and they were led by sophomore Sara Smith (Mansfield/Madison Comprehensive) who took runner-up in the mile with a season best of 5:38.65. Junior Amelia Adams (Celina) also contributed to the point total in pole vault, clearing a height of 2.80 meters while claiming 8th place. "The crew really came locked in and focused and the results showed in that, but what I loved to see the most was the amount of support everyone had for one another and the energy everyone brought all day long," Coach Connor Gulick said on the team mindset on the day.

Other notable performances from the distance side included a PR from freshman Katie Garrison (Caledonia/River Valley) in the mile with a time of 7:00.60 and seeing the return of sophomore Jenna Stewart (Thornville/Sheridan) who made her season debut in the 800 with a time of 3:05.75.

On the throws side, freshman Alana Alexander-Davis (Sandusky) led the day in the shot put with a mark of 7.77 meters.

"With so many PRs, first places and growth this is a meet that as coaches we can walk away saying this team is a difference maker," Head Coach Chris Scott said on his excitement from the meet and what that will mean for the rest of the season.

The Beavers now hit the road for Wisconsin next weekend as they will compete in the Dick Hendricks Invite at Ripon University on Saturday, Feb. 14.

-BEAVERS-