Sutter, Kesler, Digby win events to lead Men’s Indoor Track and Field at Polar Bear Qualifier

By Wes Mayberry

ADA — Senior Travis Sutter (Sharpsburg/Ft. Recovery), junior Hunter Kesler (Oakwood/Paulding) and sophomore Keegan Digby (Bowling Green/Otsego) won their respective events on Saturday to lead the Ohio Northern men's indoor track and field team in the Polar Bear Qualifier at the ONU Sports Center.

The event was not team scored.

Kesler crossed the finish line first in the 200 meters, running a time of :22.35.

Sutter won the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:30.53.

Digby took the top spot in the shot put, throwing a distance of 15.43 meters.

The Polar Bears also posted three second-place finishes.

Senior Sam Krabacher (Hamilton/Badin) finished second in the 800 meters with a time of 1:55.09.

Sophomore Tommy Vetrovsky (Macedonia) placed second in the weight throw with a distance of 17.20 meters.

Freshman Thomas Masterson (Tiffin/Hopewell-Loudon) finished second in the 1-mile run, running a time of 4:25.53.

Senior Dylan McKean (Warren/Champion) placed third in the 5,000 meters with a time of 17:05.96, and senior Andrew Buderer (Oak Harbor) finished third in the pole vault with a height of 4.66 meters.

ONU added three additional top-five finishes.

Senior Jack Borden (Westerville/North) placed fourth in the 1-mile run with a time of 4:41.90, and junior Brooks Blakeley (Versailles) finished fourth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:01.89.

Masterson added a fifth-place finish in the 800 meters, running a time of 2:02.68.

Saturday's meet served as a last-chance opportunity for athletes to qualify for next week's NCAA Division III Championships. Nationally, the top 20 individuals in each event and top 12 relay teams qualify for the NCAA Championships.

No Polar Bear currently meets those parameters.

Northern will open the outdoor portion of its 2022 schedule at the Indiana Wesleyan Invitational on March 26.