Beaver Breaks Another Record as WPU Competes at Central Invite
Pella–D’Artagnon Beaver (Jr., Rockford, Ill., Human Services) made the short trek home on Highway 163 with another school record as the William Penn men’s track and field team battled at the Central Invitational Thursday.
Beaver, who already owns three indoor records, topped the 3,000-meter steeplechase field in a school-record time of 9:38.87. His effort eclipsed the old record of 9:43.78, set by Nick Reynolds from 2011.
Showalter Johnson (Jr., Nassau, Bahamas, New Media) also claimed gold, winning the 100-meter dash in 10.67 seconds.
Silvers were garnered by Brandon Williams (Jr., Fountain, Colo., Civil Engineering) in the 800-meter run (1:58.06) and by the 4×100-meter relay team (42.37). Williams was also fourth in the 1,500-meter run in a time of 4:08.65.
Jonah Heckenberg (Sr., Stockport, Iowa, Business Management) was right there with Williams in those two events, finishing third in the 1,500 (4:06.55) and fourth in the 800 (1:59.67).
John Webb (Fr., Dothan, Ala., Mechanical Engineering) hit the line in fourth place in the 400-meter dash at 50.55, while Jaden Loveless (Jr., Des Moines, Iowa, Industrial Technology) managed a top-10 effort as well at 52.39.
WPU also showed well in the long jump, headlined by Anthony Weaver (Fr., Demopolis, Ala., Mechanical Engineering) taking fifth with a mark of 21-0.5. Micah Mills (Fr., Houston, Texas, Psychology) was close behind in ninth at 20-10.5, while Tahj Ferguson (Sr., Hartford, Conn., Psychology) finished 11th (20-5.75) and Jalen Morris (Fr., Grimes, Iowa, Business Management) was 13th (20-1.5).
Ferguson was 15th in the 100 (11.54) as well, while Rayan Antonia (So., Willensted, Curacao, Business Management) placed 16th (11.65). Antonia recorded a 23rd-place effort in the 200-meter dash in 24.05 seconds, while teammate Bennett Polite (Jr., Kearney, Mo., Fine Arts) took 11th in the competition at 23.27.
Ethan Varvelo (Jr., Channelview, Texas, Engineering Technology) was in the mix in the 1,500 as well, finishing 13th at 4:18.78.
Xzavion West (So., Guthrie, Ky., Undecided) paced the Statesmen throwing crew by placing eighth in the hammer throw at 168-6.
Nick Marshall (Jr., Glenpool, Okla., Human Services), in 16th (153-0), Steven Murray (Sr., Missouri Valley, Iowa, Sociology), in 17th (150-5), and Jeremiah Conteh (Sr., Shorewood, Wis., English), in 18th (150-0), also recorded top-half showings in the hammer.
Marshall then guided William Penn in the shot put, ending up ninth (47-3.75). Conteh (14th, 42-9) and Murray (16th, 41-8.75) were in the top 20, while Conteh also produced a third top-half placing, doing so in the discus (24th, 120-0).
Next Up: William Penn will travel to Fayette, Mo. Friday and Saturday to compete in the Central Methodist Invitational.
