Pride wrap up conference tournament with six medal winners

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Clarke University track and field teams wrapped up the Heart of America Conference Championship with the women finishing in sixth with 43 points and the men finishing in seventh, also with 43 points.

The Pride had six competitors on the podium Saturday evening including Noah Church, Benjamin Vasquez, Tyler Kell, and being awarded their medals from Friday's pole vault and 5k was Grace Squires, Emma Grant, as well as Rory Bickler.

CU won two of the top three finishes in the 3000-meter racewalk as Church finished in 14:17.20, earning himself Heart of America First Team All-Conference honors. Fellow sophomore Vasquez finished in third in the same event, crossing the finish line in 14:40.76 and has earned Heart Third Team honors.

Freshman high-jumper, Kell, leaped 1.96 meters earning himself second place and Heart Second Team honors.

Running the 600-meter and 800-meter on the men's side was Carson Sansenbach and he finished the 600-meter race in 1:22.36, good enough for sixth and a Heart Honorable Mention honor. He finished the 800-meter competition in 1:57.87, keeping himself just outside the top six. Both times are highest in program history.

Also breaking a program record was freshman Josh Musonda in the men's 400-meter race, hitting a mark of 50.88

After the first day, Brody Deitering was sitting in fourth place in the men's heptathlon and after today's events stood pat in the fourth-place position with a total of 4,209 points. Dietering placed fifth today in both the 1000-meter race and the heptathlon pole vault.

On the women's side, Allena Rowland broke her own women's 200-meter time, which is good for the best in school history at 26.32. Rowland also competed in the 400-meter race and earned herself a fourth place Honorable Mention honor with 58.70.

Looking to build on her strong first day, Bickler competed to a fifth place, Honorable Mention honor in the women's mile with a time of 5:21.

Full Results: https://results.blacksquirreltiming.com/meets/19645

Clarke University track and field will now shift their attention to the outdoor season.