by Dena Meiste
The Hope College men's track and field team got the 2021 outdoor season underway at Indiana Wesleyan's 29th Annual Polar Bear Invitational, competing against over a dozen programs including those from NCAA Division II, Division III and the NAIA.
Dan Campbell (Brighton, Michigan / Brighton), pictured, opened his freshman outdoor campaign with the highest finish for the Flying Dutchmen on opening day, earning runner-up honors in the 3,000 steeplechase behind a time of 9:53.71.
Nathanial Trumble (Granger, Indiana / Trinity School At Greenlawn) tallied four top-10 performances on the afternoon, starting with a third-place result in the 4x100.
The junior teamed up with Tyler Arntz (Saint Francis High School), David McHugh (Whitehall, Michigan / Reeths Puffer) and Jackson Player (San Antonio, Texas / Winston Churchill) to reach the podium with a race time of 44.25.
Individually, Trumble captured eighth place in the 200 meters (22.33) and ninth place in the 100 meters (11.08).
He ended his meet with another third-place result in the relays, this time joining Nathan Woolum (Mattawan, Michigan / Mattawan), Drew Dow (Bridgman, Michigan / Bridgman) and Eli Meder (Williamston, Michigan / Lansing Catholic) in the 4x400, completed the race in a time of 3:26.40.
Not only did McHugh contribute on the track, but the junior also had a solid first meet in the field events. His best result came in the long jump, where he stretched the tape to 6.05 meters to take seventh overall.
The Flying Dutchmen occupied the seventh, eighth and nine spots in the final results of the 400-meter hurdles. Chris Stamatopoulos (Wheaton, Illinois / Wheaton-Warrenville South) paced Hope with a time of 59.32, followed by Woolum (59.44) and McHugh (59.72).
Meder earned a seventh-place finish in the 800 meters (2:00.39), while Player was Hope's top finisher in the 110 hurdles, taking eighth behind a time of 16.01.
The Flying Dutchmen return to action on Friday, April 2 with the Olivet Invitational.
