Mustangs Showcase Depth in Weekend Meets

WAVERLY, Iowa - Mount Mercy University's track and field team put on a strong showing at the Friday Knight Lights Indoor Meet in Waverly, Iowa, with several athletes securing top-10 finishes. Freshman Brady Marak led the way in the Men's 60 Meters finals, earning fifth place with a time of 6.96 seconds.

Marak advanced from the preliminaries with a time of 7.03 seconds and improved to 6.96 seconds in the finals. Right behind him, sophomore Baylor Speidel snagged sixth place, clocking in at 6.99 seconds after a preliminary time of 7.04 seconds. Senior BJ Huggins also competed, finishing 16th in the preliminaries with a time of 7.18 seconds.

In the 400 meters, sophomore Trevor Leitheiser captured sixth place, crossing the line at 51.49 seconds. Freshman Reid Fridley delivered a solid performance as well, finishing 12th with a time of 52.90 seconds. Senior Brady Cortez took on the 800 meters, recording a time of 1:59.24 to secure ninth place. Senior Ryan Mitchell represented the Mustangs in the men's mile, finishing 13th with a time of 4:48.88. These efforts underscore Mount Mercy's competitive spirit across a range of events

In the sprints, Marak and Speidel's fifth and sixth places in the Men's 60 Meters were highlights, with times of 6.96 and 6.99 seconds, respectively. In the Men's 200 Meters, Garrett Franklin finished 17th, posting a time of 23.83 seconds.

In middle-distance events, Leitheiser's sixth-place finish in the Men's 400 Meters with a time of 51.49 seconds and Cortez's ninth-place in the Men's 800 Meters at 1:59.24 were notable performances.

For distance, Mitchell's 13th place in the Men's Mile, running 4:48.88, capped off the team's efforts.

On Saturday, Mount Mercy celebrated a strong showing at the Grinnell Invitational, highlighted by senior Caleb Rutherford's impressive third-place finish in the men's shot put with a throw of 15.07 meters.

Rutherford's consistency paid off as he notched a series of throws, including 14.85 and 14.93 meters, before his standout mark that secured six points for the team. Nate Jones finished 11th with a throw of 12.90 meters, while Omar Salinas recorded a distance of 12.45 meters for 16th place. Freshman Brody Beecher made his debut with a 12.40-meter effort, landing him in 18th place.

In the men's weight throw, Rutherford again led Mount Mercy, placing sixth with a throw of 15.91 meters and adding three points to the team's score. Salinas followed closely in 12th place with a throw of 14.41 meters. Freshman Isaac Hernandez showed promise, securing 13th place with a distance of 14.37 meters. Jones wrapped up his performances with a 13.75-meter throw, earning a 16th place finish.

Rutherford's contributions were pivotal, scoring a total of nine points for the Mustangs with his third-place shot put finish of 15.07 meters (49 feet 5.5 inches) and his sixth-place weight throw of 15.91 meters (52 feet 2.5 inches). Jones, another senior, finished 11th in the shot put with 12.90 meters (42 feet 4 inches) and 16th in the weight throw at 13.75 meters (45 feet 1.5 inches). Salinas, also a senior, placed 16th in the shot put with 12.45 meters (40 feet 10.25 inches) and improved to 12th in the weight throw with 14.41 meters (47 feet 3.5 inches).

The Mustangs will next compete on Saturday, February 7, in Davenport, Iowa, eager to build on their recent successes.