The Heidelberg University Track & Field Teams opened up the season with a split crew. The distance runners ran at the Grand Valley State Holiday Open, while a majority of the sprints,  throws and jumps competed at the Oiler Opener at Findlay. 

GVSU Men's 800m:
A trio of freshmen delivered a promising start to their collegiate careers. Dominick Zaffos paced the group with a smooth 2:00.51, followed by James Henderson (2:02.81) and Augie Schweickert (2:03.17). All three finished in the top 30 overall and showcased depth in the mid-distance group. 

GVSU Men's 3000m:
Freshman Dean Morrison impressed in his collegiate debut, placing 9th overall with a sharp 8:54.17, setting a solid foundation for the season ahead. 

GVSU Men's 5000m:
Sophomore Tyler Huff led the way with a 15:44.43, finishing 7th in his heat. First-years Thomas Katsares (16:00.22) and Braden Cinato (16:20.06) followed, while senior captain Trenton Hole opened his final indoor season with a 16:39.67. In the later heat, freshmen Gavin Bichsel (16:45.23) and Quentin Cox (16:51.65) added to a deep evening for HU distance. 

GVSU Women's 800m:
Freshman Briana Westrick made her collegiate debut with a 2:39.15, building rhythm in a competitive section. 

GVSU Women's 5000m:
Senior Vanessa Shanaman clocked 19:13.68, landing 19th overall in her heat. In Heat 5, first-years Lauren Hall (20:29.99) and Addie Horner (21:14.54) gave the team two more steady debuts. 

FINDLAY SPRINTS & HURDLES

In the 60m prelims, freshman Harry King led HU with a 7.54, followed closely by Jacob Myers (7.57) as the Student Princes packed five athletes inside the top 22. In the 200m, sophomore Brody Chapman ran the team's top time at 24.32, with Myers, Lael Foster, Jackson Kennison, Elvis Jean-Jacques, Zane Fairbanks, and Cornell Test all contributing solid early-season marks. 

In the 400m, Jax Lytle opened with a 54.85, just ahead of Foster (55.12) and Fairbanks (57.06).
On the women's side, sophomore Brianna Braatz advanced in the 60m (8.16) and later placed 12th in the 200m with a strong 26.85. Lily David added a top-10 finish in the 400m, running 1:05.54. 

Sophomore hurdler Cameron Long delivered HU's first scoring performance of the day, placing 5th in the 60H with an 8.82, earning four points. 

FINDLAY MID-DISTANCE

Freshman Andrew Fay posted a solid opener in the 800m, finishing 7th overall in 2:10.63, good for two points. 

FINDLAY FIELD EVENTS — JUMPS

Freshman Camden Mooney highlighted the high jump crew by clearing 1.75m, placing 7th, while Kennison was unable to register a height. In the pole vault, sophomores Cornell Test (3.97m) and freshman Isaiah Abbott (3.67m) finished 6th and 7th, respectively. 

Heidelberg's long jumpers excelled, led by freshman Jacob Myers who landed at 6.13m for 4th place. Sophomore Jesse Vanlerberg (5.51m) and Mooney (5.47m) rounded out the top-six sweep for HU.

On the women's side, sophomore Ella Jacobs earned 3rd place with a 4.39m performance. Jacobs also placed 6th in the high jump with a 1.42m clearance. 

Vanlerberg added another strong showing in the triple jump, taking 3rd with an 11.67m mark. 

FINDLAY FIELD EVENTS — THROWS

Junior Amelia Lewin led the throwers with two scoring finishes. She placed 4th in the shot put at 12.12m, then followed with 8th in the weight throw at 13.14m. Freshman Isabella Grennell (10.93m), Trinity Quaintance, Taegan Retherford, and Emily Ball rounded out a deep women's group.

For the men, juniors Josiah Brown (13.03m) and Ethan Rieman (12.72m) both threw over 12 meters in the shot, while three HU men competed in the weight throw led by Brown's 12.10m. 

FINDLAY RELAYS

The Men's 4x400 team of Brody Chapman, Zane Fairbanks, Lael Foster, and Tyreese Clerveau closed the meet with one of HU's best finishes of the day, taking 2nd place in 3:46.12, securing eight team points.

Photo courtesy of Kyle Niermann / Findlay Athletics