Track and Field Takes on Day One of NACC Outdoor Championships

Isabelle Pullen of Illinois Tech Track & Field

De Pere, Wis.— Day 1 of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Track and Field Conference Championships was overcast and a little chilly, but that didn't stop the Scarlet Hawks from shining bright. Five Hawks made finals in their events and many more had personal bests.

Javier Bernal put the first points on the board for the Hawks, placing 5th overall in the men's javelin throw. He threw 44.12 meters, besting his previous best throw of 43.87 meters.

In the 100-meter dash, Ajibola Claudius-Akinyemi on the men's side and Annaelle Mukash on the women's, will be representing the Hawks in the finals, both winning their heats and posting the 2nd fastest times heading into the finals; 10.84 for Claudius-Akinyemi and 12.62 for Mukash. Enoch Asare ran a strong race in his heat as well, running a PR in 11.56 for the 7th fastest time in Illinois Tech history.

The Hawks will be well represented in the 200-meter dash final as well. Claudius-Akinyemi won his heat in 22.16 to qualify, while Mukash and Zoe Turner qualified for the women, running 26.40 and 26.35, respectively. Turner won her heat outright and is the 3rd fastest qualifier.

Amelia Moseman qualified for finals in the 400-meter dash, leading all competitors with a time of 58.96. Bjarne Van Oord ran a season best time of 52.03 for 10th place overall, and Ian Novak a lifetime PR of 54.31.

Moving up in distance, Mason Brewer ran a 4 second PR in the men's 800-meter run, finishing in a time of 2:16.22. Rachel Brettin and Isabelle Pullen placed 10th and 12th in the women's heats, respectively. Pullen ran a personal best 2:29.12 for 12th overall.

After the first 5 events—with 5 events to go—Finnick Poulin sits third overall in the men's decathlon. He placed 2nd in the decathlon high jump, and 4th in the long jump. The decathlon continues tomorrow with the 110 hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and the 1500-meter run.

Freshman Kailey Nicholas made finals in the triple jump, placing 9th overall with a jump of 10.68 meters. Also in the field, D'andre De La Fuente threw a season best of 29.61.

Day 2 action begins at 9:00 AM with the Decathlon 110-meter hurdles. Field events will begin at 11:00 AM, featuring Hammer Throw, Shot Put, Long Jump, and High Jump. Running events will begin at 12:00 PM.

Races to Watch: