NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Crosstown rivals Carleton College and St. Olaf College squared off in the annual Rolex Classic. John Hanks (Sr./LeRoy, Minn./LeRoy-Ostrander) bested his season high by more than 12 feet in winning the javelin with a personal-record distance of 177 feet (53.94 meters), second-best in the MIAC this season.
The 5,000-meter run was the event selected to determine the winning team, with the Oles prevailing in that race.
Nick Cesarek (Sr./Eagan, Minn./Eastview), Jack Delehanty (Sr./Madison, Wis./Monona Grove) and Michael Sanders (Jr./Cedar Falls, Iowa) finished 1-2-3 in the 400-meter dash, with each recording their top times of the season. Cesarek’s finish in 50.12 established a new personal record.
Tom Ballinger (Sr./Wenatchee, Wash.) blew away the field in the 400-meter hurdles, doing so in 54.00, which is his fourth NCAA provisional time this year.
John Davis (So./Eden Prairie, Minn.) trimmed 25 seconds off his top time in the steeplechase, completing the 3,000-meter course in 9:39.93, fifth-best in the MIAC this season.
Sophomore hurdlers Ty Martin (Minot, N.D.) and Dylan Bothun (Rosemount, Minn.) had outstanding meets. Going 1-2 in the 110-meter hurdles, Martin with the victory, Bothun with the new personal record time of 16.27. Both returned to establish new personal bests in the 400-meter hurdles.
The middle distance runners had outstanding races at the 1500-meter distance. Chris Marshall (Jr./Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong), Kian Flynn (Fy./Otis, Ore./Taft), and Colin Sinclair (So./Madison, Wis./West) each recorded personal records as they finished fourth, fifth and seventh in a very competitive race. Michael Knudson (So./Decorah, Iowa) blasted the last 100 meters to pass two St. Olaf runners, establish a new personal record, and claim the victory in the second heat of the 1500-meter competition.
First-year Jon Raberg (Lexington, Mass.) had been plagued by an early-season hamstring injury, showed hope for the future with personal bests in the high jump, javelin throw, discus, and 200-meter dash. He also ran a leg of the winning 4x100 meter relay.
Although Carleton has no entrants this year, the Knights host the two-day MIAC Decathlon starting on Thursday, April 30. The team's next action comes on May 8-9 as the squad hosts the remainder of the MIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.