Track competes nationally

The MVNU track and field teams kicked off the spring season with two athletes competing in the NAIA indoor nationals.

Sophomore Mitchell Soviak qualified when he threw 15.58 meters in the shot put event at the Jessica Stark Invitational on Jan. 28. Freshman Shenell Williams made the cut when she finished the 60-meter hurdles in 9.16 seconds at the Crossroads League Invitational in February.

Head Coach Chip Wilson said he was proud of both and happy to see their hard work pay off.

"There is something special about representing MVNU as the first male and female indoor track student-athletes,” he said. “They have earned an opportunity to compete against the best national competition in their events, and they are among a select group of student-athletes nationally to be in the conversation as one of the best in their events.”

Since then, the MVNU men’s track team has finished in the top-five in all three of their meets this season.

The team has been led by freshman Makai Lewis, sophomores Soviak, Brennan Crawford and Carl Jones Jr. and senior Jake Sherer.

Lewis finished first in the men’s 100-meter dash at the Marv Frye Invitational, third at the Wooster Invitational, and fifth at the Yellow Jacket Collegiate Open, where he set his season-best time of 10.96.

Crawford’s best finish came at the Marv Frye Invitational. He finished the 500 meters in 15:55.29, earning him fifth place.

Jones Jr.’s best time came in the 100-meter dash at the Yellow Jacket Invitational. His 11.02 time earned him a ninth-place finish. He took third place in the 100-meter dash and fourth place in the 200 meters at the Marv Frye Invitational. His 4x100 relay team, consisting of Lewis, freshman Joseph Joe and sophomore Brandon Brown, finished first at Marv Frye and Yellow Jacket Invitational and took second at the Wooster Invitational.

Sherer recorded a first-place finish at the Marv Frye Invitational. He finished the 800 meters in 1:55.78.

The women’s team has been led this spring by Williams, freshman Brooklyn Duewel and sophomore Rachel Gerber.

Duewel’s 18:59.03 time in the 5,000 meters earned her fourth place at the Marv Frye Invitational. She was just 30 seconds slower at the Wooster Invitational, earning her a sixth-place finish.

Gerber recorded a third-place finish at the Marv Frye Invitational. She finished the 1,500 meters in 4:57.13.

The MVNU track and field teams have several more meets before the Crossroads League championships in early May.