Junior Keegan Digby breaks own school record in shot put to lead Men’s Indoor Track and Field on final day of Ashland Open

By Wes Mayberry

ASHLAND — Junior Keegan Digby (Bowling Green/Otsego) broke his own school record in the shot put in leading the Ohio Northern men's indoor track and field team on the final day of the Jud Logan Light Giver Open on Saturday at Ashland University's Niss Athletic Center.

Digby, who had a school-record throw of 16.43 meters at the Muskingum Invitational on Jan. 28, broke that mark with a toss of 16.70 meters to place second in the event at Saturday's meet, which was not team scored.

He recorded that distance, which is tops in the Ohio Athletic Conference and third nationally this season, on his sixth and final attempt and was second only to Ryan Smith of NCAA Division I Miami (Ohio), who recorded a mark of 17.22 meters.

Saturday's accomplishment comes after Digby posted a career-best 17.72 meters in the weight throw in Friday's portion of the meet to rank second all-time at ONU in that event.

Other highlights included a fifth-place finish in the 400 by sophomore Jordan Dean (Euclid/Villa Angela Saint Joseph) in a career-best :48.95, which ranks second all-time at ONU, and personal-best finishes from sophomores Ryan Massie (Beavercreek) and Thomas Masterson (Tiffin/Hopewell-Loudon), senior Brooks Blakeley (Versailles) and junior Ian Ackenhausen (Xenia/Legacy Christian Academy) in the 1-mile run.

Massie finished 10th in 4:17.88, which is fourth-best in the OAC this season and ranks sixth all-time at ONU.

Masterson placed 11th in 4:18.37, which ranks seventh all-time at ONU, and Blakeley placed 16th in 4:21.31, which is ninth all-time at ONU. Ackenhausen was 17th in 4:21.90.

Junior Trey Myers (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) finished eighth in the 800 with a personal-best time of 1:54.97, which ranks third all-time at ONU.

Freshman Zach O'Neill (Holland/Maumee Valley Country Day) and senior Hunter Kesler (Oakwood/Paulding) both posted personal-best times in the 400.

O'Neill finished 14th in :50.07, and Kesler was 17th in :50.32.

The 4x400 relay team of Myers, sophomore Mitchel Vance (Bellefontaine/Benjamin Logan), junior David Gross (Prospect/Pleasant Local) and freshman Ben Zimmerer (Liberty Township/Lakota West) finished 16th in 3:28.27.

Senior Brandt Marshall (Orange Twp./Cory-Rawson) tied for 16th in the pole vault with a mark of 4.10 meters.

Freshmen Bryce Stuart (Lucasville/Valley) and Stephen Mangira (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) rounded out Northern's top-20 finishers.

Stuart tied for 17th in the high jump with a mark of 1.80 meters, and Mangira was 20th in the long jump with a mark of 6.08 meters.

The Polar Bears return to action on Friday and Saturday at the Grand Valley State (Mich.) Big Meet and Tiffin Open, respectively.