Warriors Shine at Dordt Open to Begin New Year

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — Midland University opened its second-semester schedule with a strong showing at the Dordt Open on Saturday, at the Holwerda Family Indoor Track inside the Recreation Center. The Warriors saw multiple athletes finish in the top ten in their respective events, showcasing early-season form.

Robert Atwater led the way for Midland in the field events, winning the high jump with a height of 2.03 meters. Atwater also claimed the top spot in the pole vault, clearing 4.60 meters.

Kenya Ford delivered a standout performance in the triple jump, finishing second with a mark of 13.31 meters. He also placed fourth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.60 seconds and made the finals of the 60-meter dash, where he clocked 7.17 seconds in the preliminaries.

Evan Shepard impressed in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing second in the finals with a time of 8.52 seconds. In the men's 600-meter run, Shandon Reitzell placed third with a time of 1:23.14, while Noah Sherman came in sixth at 1:27.08.

In the throws, Nate Osness placed ninth in the shot put with a toss of 13.13 meters and seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 14.22 meters.

The Warriors' 4x200-meter relay team of Noah Sherman, Devyn Zikmund, Chris Medlock, and Bennett Meyer finished first with a time of 1:35.21. The 4x400-meter relay team of Lucas Hjortkjaer, Henri Stoeckermann, Braden Taylor, and Koen Steenblok placed eighth with a time of 3:42.13.

Next weekend, Midland will split up its team with athletes competing at the Mount Marty Invite in Yankton, South Dakota, and at the UNL Graduate Classic in Lincoln, Nebraska. Both meets will take place on January 17-18.