Winston-Salem, NC- "The hay is in the barn."Â That's the saying of the men's track team here at Lincoln Memorial University going into this weekend's South Atlantic Conference championships. There's nothing more that can be done to improve your fitness, just come as you are and be ready to compete. Leaving the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, the Railsplitters emptied the barn, and replaced the hay with some hardware and memories that some would have thought never possible.
Competing against some of the nation's best, including the number one team in the country, Wingate University, the Harriers of Harrogate claimed tenth place in the men's standings, with a highlighted performance from the men's distance medley relay (DMR) on day one. The quartet of Spencer Baldwin, Clayon Cooper, Sam Fulton, and Marig Engelbrecht, was bested by Anderson University, which needed a conference championship record to win the event.
Baldwin's leadoff effort in the event not only set the tone for the race but reminded the conference why the senior is one of the top 800 runners in school history. When his leg was finished, LMU established a second position for Clayon Cooper to take control. Cooper's 400 meter leg was masterfully run around the tight curves of the track, especially difficult for someone who many think is a member of the men's basketball team due to his 6 foot 7 inch height. With sixty meters to go, LMU took the lead.
Sam Fulton carried the baton next, and held a lead that many believed was supposed to be one of the traditional distance powers of the conference. But Coach Kavalunas' distance group had a decided heart, and knew today was going to be a race that required a selfless effort. With one mile to go, it was only fitting that one of the team's seniors anchored the race.
Marig Engelbrecht started the one mile leg of the race with a one second lead on Anderson. Engelbrecht, who started the indoor season late due to injury, was one of the top runners during the men's cross country season. Handling the eight lap mile was something he was accustomed to, having run the same leg in last year's event. While Anderson did overtake the splitters on the final lap for good, it wasn't for a lack of trying, as Marig's 4:20 mile gave the team eight pints on the day, and the men a trip to the podium to pick up their silver medal.
They weren't the only finalists on the first day of competition, as junior thrower Avery Hatfield made his way into the finals of the men's weight throw. The Cumberland Gap High School product took to the circle with a huge following of raucous teammates cheering him on. A fifth round throw of 47 feet, 1.5 inches was a personal best throw, but didn't improve his position. All told, Hatfield's performance was a ceiling breaker as he became the third best thrower in school history.
Day one also saw several personal bests established in several events:
- Jaxson Branham and Simon Fillers peaked at the right time, lowering their personal bests in the 5,000 meter run, taking 14th and 16 place, respectively.
- Vincent Quilici qualified for the finals in the men's 400 meter dash in 50.08.
Day two saw more personal records fall from Branham, as he covered another 3,000 meters and obliterated his previous best by 9 seconds. But he wasn't alone in the successful day two, as Vincent Quilici finished his individual events with a seventh place finish in the men's 400 meter dash. While no record was set, he brought back another two points to the team.
Rounding out the meet for the men was the 4x400 meter relay. An event that is always a gut check for runners, the 4x4 team of Hunter Preston, Quilici, Cooper, and Nile McLymont brought back another 2 points for the team, bringing their day to an end with a team finish of 10th of 13 schools.
With the indoor season complete, the focus moves to the outdoor season, where the men welcome a few more members, and a few more events, to the team.
