Selinsgrove, Pa. – The Lancaster Bible College men's and women's track and field teams opened up their spring season, competing in the Jim Taylor Outdoor Invite hosted by Susquehanna University on Saturday, March 26. 25 schools competed at the meet across Division I, II, and III, and LBC had a solid first outing of the outdoor season, setting seven new school records and earning three qualifications for the NCCAA Outdoor Championships.
Out of the Blocks
Lancaster Bible had five athletes compete in the 100-meter race. On the men's side, Eric Zimmerman finished the race in 11.53 seconds, followed by Jalen Glasgow and Dustin Frantz with times of 11.74 and 13.67, respectively. On the women's side, Sydney Heller claimed the school record in the event with a time of 13.71 seconds. In the 200 meters, Zimmerman had a strong time, finishing in tenth place with a time of 23.16. In the men's 400 meters, Adam Horning set a school record with a time of 55.21, while Richard Hartigan won his heat in his first career race, finishing in 58.95 seconds. Leah Bergey had a great first outing of the spring, finishing sixth in qualifying for the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.76 and placing seventh in the finals. Bergey's time helped her qualify for the NCCAA Outdoor Championships in the 100-meter hurdles.
LBC earned a top-10 finish in the men's 4X100 meter relay, with the team of Nick Songster, Glasgow, Trey Baughman and Zimmerman placing tenth with a time of 46.41. The women's 4X100 meter relay team comprised of Heller, Elizabeth Lieb, Kara Huber, and Bergey set a school record, finishing in 54.47 seconds. The women's 800 meters was highlighted by Emma Fertig, who set a school record with a time of 2:37.55. Bailey Donaldson also competed, finishing with a time of 2:55.05. Two athletes competed in the men's 5,000 meters, with Daniel Lefko setting a school record with a time of 18:19.11. Alex McWilliams topped his personal best in the event, finishing with a time of 18:49.49.
At the Pits
Nathan Vigil represented LBC in the men's pole vault, clearing a height of 3.80 meters and earning a top-20 finish. In the women's pole vault, Kara Huber cleared a height of 2.60 meters, setting a school record in the process. Kyle Gregory set a program record in the men's javelin throw, reaching a distance of 42.85 meters. High jump was the best event of the day for the Chargers, with both Trey Baughman and Leah Bergey qualifying for the NCCAA Outdoor Championships. Bergey placed 13th on the women's side with a height of 1.50 meters, while Baughman took second place in the men's high jump, clearing a height of 1.93 meters.
Coaching Points
"This was a very competitive meet with a range of DI, DII, and DIII schools," said track and field head coach Melissa Baughman. "The conditions today were tough, but our athletes gave outstanding efforts in their events. Today was a good gauge of where we are and where we can improve."
NCCAA Qualifiers This Season
Leah Bergey – 100 Meter Hurdles
Trey Baughman – High Jump
Leah Bergey – High Jump
Who's Next
The men's and women's track and field teams will compete in the Millersville Metrics Meet hosted by Millersville University on Saturday, April 2.
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