LUBBOCK, Texas – Matthew Higdon and Alexander Schovanec dazzled at Texas Tech's Corky/Crofoot Shootout over the weekend, posting NCAA Division II qualifying marks in their respective events to lead OBU's track and field efforts.
Higdon broke his school record in the hammer with a 60.57m (198-9) heave that earned fifth overall. The throw is the 12th-furthest in the country. He set the previous program-best mark, 59.97m (196-9), a season ago.
The reigning GAC Athlete of the Week, Schovanec, topped his previous PR in the discus (52.40m, 171-11) with the nation's 11th-best mark of 53.19m (174-6). The throw placed seventh overall. Elijah Wood, competing in the "B" section, took fourth with a personal-best hurl of 43.26m (141-11).
Schovanec also placed fourth in the shot put with a 16.06m (52-8.25) mark. Wood trailed in sixth with a heave of 14.51m (47-7.25), another personal best.
In the 400 hurdles, Jentezen Smith finished fourth with a personal-best time of 52.36. It is the fastest time in GAC. Teammates Aaryn Anderson and Maurice McMullen finished later in sixth (54.70) and seventh (56.28), respectively.
Trey Bartholomew led the jumping events with a 1.97m (6-5.5) leap in the high jump that placed fifth, while Isaiah Willis claimed seventh in the long jump with a mark of 7.14m (23-5.25).
The 4x400 relay squad of Marcus Petersen, Smith, Emmett Murphy, and Willis finished second with a time of 3:13.94. In the 4x100, Brendan Sanders, Smith, Petersen, and Willis claimed third in 42.01.
Maxamillian Wheeler, the lone Bison competing at Drake relays, finished 36th overall with a time of 9:28.13. It ranks as the second-fastest time in the GAC, behind his own time of 9:02.95.
The OBU men's track and field team moves on to the Great American Conference Championships this week, which will be held at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.
