DMR event title, Lloyd's runner-up finish paces Men's Track & Field on day one at Findlay Alumni Classic & Elite Throws

By Blake Moore

FINDLAY — The Ohio Northern men's track and field program registered an event title in the distance medley relay and posted nine top-five efforts Friday evening inside the Malcolm Athletic Center on the first day of the Findlay Alumni Classic & Elite Throws meet, hosted by NCAA Division II institution Findlay.

Senior All-American Ian McVey (Stow/Munroe Falls), junior Andrew Shelton (Williamsville, N.Y./South), and sophomores Colin McCullough (Galion) and Sam Krabacher (Hamilton/Badin) teamed up for the program's first event title this weekend in the men's distance medley relay. The quartet crossed the tape in 10:28.96 to take the top spot, besting the second-place team by 15 seconds.

Meanwhile, sophomore Owen Lloyd (Colfax, Ind./Clinton Prairie) topped the individual efforts with a runner-up performance in the high jump. His clearance at 1.88 meters (6' 2") led all NCAA Division III competitors on Friday and met the Ohio Athletic Conference automatic qualifying standard for the event.

Classmate Cade Saunders (Marysville) also earned a top-five finish in the high jump, tying for fifth with a 1.73-meter (5' 8") leap.

Seniors John McNutt (Ashtabula/Lakeside) and Spencer Schulze (St. Henry) and sophomore Travis Sutter (Fort Recovery) raced to a 3-4-5 finish in the 5,000-meter run event, respectively. McNutt posted a career-best 15:47.29 mark to lead the way and finish first among Division III competitors.

In the open shot put class, sophomore Matt Bradshaw (Cleveland/Norton) tied for third with a 14.05-meter (46' 1.25") mark. The effort topped the remaining NCAA Division III performances inside the Malcolm Athletic Center and sat just seven inches from runner-up honors.

The freshman pole vault duo of Luke Shellhaas (Greenville/Versailles) and Andrew Buderer (Oak Harbor) landed among a four-way tie for fourth place in the event with 4.28-meter clearances. Both efforts set new career-best marks and now rank eighth in program history for a freshman student-athlete.

The Findlay Alumni Classic & Elite Throws competition continues tomorrow morning inside the Malcolm Athletic Center. Action gets underway at 10 a.m. with the men's and women's long jump and the women's weight throw events.