Robinson, Elmore Qualify as WPU Competes at CMU Invite

William Penn University Athletics

Fayette, Mo.–Tristen Elmore (Fr., Ovied, Fla., Physical Education) and Derek Robinson (Jr., Jenks, Okla., Communications) each earned an opportunity Saturday to compete for national crowns as they paced the William Penn track and field teams at the Central Methodist Invitational.

As a team, the WPU men were third with 80 points, while Columbia won the team crown with 121 points.

Elmore and Robison each qualified for nationals, extending the men’s list of qualifiers to six in five events.

Elmore placed second in the 200-meter dash in a ‘B’ standard time of 21.65 seconds, while Robinson also hit the ‘B’ standard in the discus with a third-place toss of 156-6. Robinson had two other bronze finishes as well, accomplishing the feat in the shot put (45-10.5) and hammer throw (156-6), while Elmore had a second silver in the high jump (6-4.5).

Two-time qualifier Derek Seddon (Sr., Knoxville, Iowa, Physical Education) improved upon both of his marks, including breaking his own hammer record at 174-1. He was first in both that event and the discus at 183-0.

Members of the 4×100-meter relay squad joined Seddon as event champions, topping the field with a time of 42.05 seconds.

Earl George (Sr., Gaithersburg, Md., Biology) headed the rest of the Statesmen who also scored points or finished in the top 10 Saturday. The senior finished fifth in the long jump at 20-8 and was sixth in the javelin at 140-9.

Seventh-place finishes came from Markenson Charles (Sr., Lehigh Acres, Fla., Industrial Technology) in the 110-meter hurdles (16.07) and Chris Leiba (Fr., Olympia, Wash., Business Management) in the 100-meter dash (11.07), while Tyler Albert (So., Eldon, Iowa, Engineering Technology) (javelin, 134-10), Kewan Slaton (Fr., Lakeland, Tenn., Computer Science) (400-meter dash, 51.13), and Clifford Phillips (Sr., Dade City, Fla., Physical Education) (100, 11.10) all placed eighth at the Invitational.

Malik Brown (Jr., Long Beach, Calif., Psychology) ended up ninth in the 100 (11.09 in the prelims) and Charles Hurt (So., Gary, Ind., Sociology) was 10th in the 400 (51.49) as well.

The Statesmen women tallied 16 points for a 13th-place finish, while NCAA Division II Truman led the field with 173.5 points.

Asia Laudermilch (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Physical Education) was one of four individuals in the top 10, doing so twice Saturday. The freshman took home runner-up honors in the 100 (12.67) and was sixth in the 200 (26.08).

Akilah Dorsey (Fr., Maywood, Ill., Psychology) joined Laudermilch with multiple top-10 efforts, taking seventh in the 400 (1:02.09) and 10th in the 200 (26.78).

Elayna VanArsdale (Fr., Bensalem, Pa., Secondary Education), who was sixth in the discus at 118-11, and Becky Cleppe (Fr., St. Petersburg, Fla., Physical Education), who was ninth in the hammer at 131-7, paced the navy and gold throwers.

“Our athletes have trained extremely hard the last three weeks and that hard work paid off in several PRs and season bests,” Head Coach Allen Friesen said. “I am extremely proud of their efforts today.”

Next Up: William Penn travels to Liberty, Mo. next Saturday to compete in the Darrel Gourley Open hosted by William Jewell.