ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s track & field team wrapped up competition at the 2018 MIAC Indoor Championships Saturday at Macalester College, turning in 61 team points for a sixth place finish of 11 teams.
The Gusties added another 30 team points during day two, moving up from seventh to sixth place after day one.
Taylor Rooney (Fy., Andover, Minn.) and Michael Hensch (Jr., North Branch, Minn.) paced Gustavus during the final day of competition, each being crowned MIAC Champions in their respective events.
Rooney picked up his second first place finish to start the day with a career-best and school record leap of 6-8, earning the Gusties 10 team points. He broke the conference 60-meter hurdle record on Friday.
“He rose to the occasion and having a two and a half inch personal best and a four inch personal best over the season, so that’s pretty impressive,” said Head Coach Dale Bahr of Rooney’s performance.
Hensch claimed the top shot put throw of 56 feet, finishing more than two feet ahead of the next closest competitor with a career-high.
“I think the performance of the day and maybe the performance of the meet on the field side of things, unleashing a monster throw that was a two and a half foot PR,” Bahr spoke on Hensch.
After scoring in the 5,000-meter run yesterday, Andrew Stumbo (Fy., Boone, Iowa) scored two points in the 3,000-meter run to finish seventh at with a time of 8:49.34.
Additionally, the 4×400-meter relay team of Ben Madigan (Jr., Kohler, Wis.), Jack Blaney (Jr., Lake Elmo, Minn.), Bobby Verchota (So., Hastings, Minn.), and Brennan Gustafson (Fy., Kasson, Minn.) six points 3rd place season-best 3:27.90.
“We scored 20 more points than we were scheduled to score, which is far more than any other team,” Bahr commented. “Hats off to the men. Two or three points here and there made a difference. I’m very proud of what the men did, everybody bought in to the team’s concept, went out and competed hard.”
The 2018 outdoor season begins March 29, as the Gusties head to Saint John’s University.