by Dena Meiste
Nathan Trumble led the charge for the Hope College men's track and field team at the Panther Classic, hosted by Davenport University, on Saturday.
The junior earned top-five finishes in all three of his events, including a win in the 400 meters.
With 134 points, the Flying Dutchmen placed third overall, trailing only NCAA Division II schools Davenport and Grand Valley State University.
Trumble (Granger, Indiana / Trinity School at Greenlawn), pictured right, opened his day in the 400-meter dash where he edged GVSU's Brenden Faulkner by two-tenths of a second to take the victory in the photo-finish race. Trumble was credited with a final time of 50.26.
In the 200 meters, Trumble earned his second podium result of the meet, clocking a 22.95. The junior ended the day in the field, where he competed in the javelin for the first time this season. After launching a throw of 37.52 meters – nearly six meters more than his previous collegiate best – Trumble walked away in fifth place.
Gabe DeYoung (Saegertown, Pennsylvania / Saegertown), pictured left, chalked another win for the Flying Dutchmen, pacing the field in the 5,000 meters. The sophomore eclipsed the 16-minute mark for the first time in collegiate competition, completing the race 15:48.85.
Junior Evan Bleitz (Milan, Michigan / Saline) gave Hope the 1-2 finish behind a time of 15:56.27.
David McHugh had a full day with one race, one relay and two field events on his agenda. The junior out of Whitehall, Michigan (Reeths-Puffer) finished runner-up in the triple jump after stretching the tape to 12.60 meters (41 feet, 4 1/4 inches). McHugh also placed fifth in both the 400-meter dash and long jump.
Senior Jared Lowe (Cincinnati, Ohio / Charlevoix) snagged the final spot on the podium in the high jump, clearing a height of 1.85 meters (6-0 3/4). Sophomore Case VanderZee (Holland, Michigan / Holland Christian) was right behind him in fourth at 1.75m (5-8 3/4).
Drew Dow collected two top-five finishes on the day. The junior from Bridgman, Michigan (Bridgman) took fourth in the 400 meters (51.53) while finishing the 200 meters (51.53) in the five spot.
The Flying Dutchmen put two runners in the top-five in the 1,500 meter race, led by a third-place performance by Zackary Murphy (Coldwater, Michigan / Coldwater). Sophomore Luke Shoemaker (Elkhart, Indiana / Concord) grabbed fifth place behind a season-best effort of 4:20.36.
Next on the docket is the Olivet Tune-Up, held on Saturday, May 1. Field events open at 11 a.m. and running events start at 1 p.m.
