Although no total team scores were compiled at the NAIA Challenge on Jan. 21 at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, Warhawk men and women track athletes still made their presence felt with many top event finishes.

Senior Duvaun Goodlow took first place in the high jump, posting a personal-best leap of 6-09.00. His jump was the fifth best height posted in all of Division III thus far in the season.

Sophomore Celeste Madda finished ahead of the pack in the 60-meter dash. Her victory was a personal-best mark of 7.79 seconds, which gave her the second-fastest time in D-III competition this season.

Goodlow’s first place finish, along with Madda’s, caught the eye of former Warhawk All-American runner, now assistant coach, Dawson Miller.

“Everything is going very well thus far,” Miller said. “There have been some national qualifying performances already this season by both men and women, which is promising to see. The first few meets are always a bit tough to predict because the student athletes are coming off a month of training by themselves due to winter break.”

Other notable standouts for the Warhawks’ included Senior Levi Perry who was the runner-up in the weight throw with a score of
59-10.25 feet.

Junior captain Parker Witt, finished second place in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.91 seconds.

Sophomore Connor Arneson ran to a second place finish in the 400-meter dash in 52.07 seconds. Freshman Adam Schommer also excelled placing third in the pole-vault with a top jump of 14-01.25 feet.

Senior distance runner Scott Wolter said he likes the make-up of the team.

“We have a variety of top talent this season in all grades, with a lot of returning runners on both the men’s side and the women’s side,” Wolter said. “We have improved since last season, but we may not have as much depth as a team like La-Crosse has.”

The ’Hawks women’s team looks to improve this season after finishing seventh at the indoor conference  championships and fourth place at outdoors last season.

The men’s team hopes to build off last year’s succesful season, which saw them finish in third at the indoor conference meet and second place outdoors.

Wolter says everybody on the team has high expectations for themselves and the team this season.

“We are hoping for at least a second place conference finish this season and will hopefully give La-Crosse a run for their money,” Wolter said. “As far as the national meet goes, we are always confident that we have a chance to win. We came close last season, and we have a little bit more firepower this year.”

Both teams are back in action on Jan. 28 at home as the men host the “Squig” Converse Invitational and Multi-Event Friday at 5 p.m. The women host the Warhawk Classic Invitational Saturday starting at noon.