Track & field: Comets post six first-place finishes at Don & Riley Zimmer Indoor Classic

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Olivet College men's and women's indoor track & field teams combined for six first-place finishes tonight at the Don & Riley Zimmer Indoor Classic, hosted by Trine University in Angola, Indiana.

The Comet men had four of the gold medal finishes, all by a different runner. Sophomore Connor Bauserman took the top spot in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:59.45. Senior Andrew Benkovsky crossed the line first in the mile run with a time of 4:26.29. Senior Greg Lutzke won the 3,000-meter run by more than five seconds with a time of 9:02.90. Senior Jalen Weaver finished first in the 600-meter run with a time of 1:22.21, which was only 15/100ths faster than the runner-up runner.

Olivet's 4x400-meter relay team of Bauserman, junior Tyler Britten, Benkovsky and Weaver placed second with a time of 3:28.83. In the field events, freshman Drew Miller had the Comets' best finish, placing eighth in the shot put (12.42 meters).

Senior Cassie Ciaravino was a double winner for the Comet women. She was the first runner to cross the line in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.45 seconds. Ciaravino also cleared the high jump at 1.58 meters/5 feet, 2.25 inches on her final attempt to win the event. The mark also tied her own indoor school-record performance.

Also on the track, freshman Allyson Schultz broke the indoor school record in the mile run for the second time in as many weeks with a time of 5:43.38.

In the field events, freshman Michaela Kaliniak was third on the pole vault. Her clearance of 2.90 meters/9 feet, 6.25 inches tied the indoor school record.

Olivet is off until Friday, Feb. 13, when it participates in the Defiance (Ohio) College Invitational.