Once again, the Missouri Baptist University men's track & field team doubled up on meets this weekend, taking on the Pittsburg Gorilla Classic and the Illinois Wesleyan Titan Open. Add in graduate student Jordan Crawford, competing in the 115th Millrose Games in New York, N.Y., and the team was in three locations across the country and Midwest.

Crawford collected a bronze medal in the Men's Mile Racewalk at this year's Millrose Games, one of the world's most prestigious indoor track & field competitions. It was an improvement for Crawford, who finished seventh out of 12 at the 2022 Millrose Games in the 3000-Meter Racewalk. In more of a "sprint" event for the six-time NAIA national champion racewalker, Crawford finished Saturday's Mile with a time of 6:27.75. Crawford currently owns an 'A' standard and the NAIA's top time in the racewalk.

Donovan Denslow and David Fletcher were the two Spartans competing in the Gorilla Classis this weekend. Denslow took on the 5000 meter run and put up a time of 14:29.43. The Eolia, Mo. native finished third out of 61 runners and set a new personal record as well. Fletcher participated in the mile and placed 79 out of 81. The freshman was only a couple seconds shy of setting a new PR with a time of 4:35.55.

The rest of the team headed to Illinois for the Titan Open where they had five top 10 finishes, earning them 10^th out of 15 teams. Two of those came from junior, Camden Woolbright. In the 60 meter hurdles, the Centralia, Ill. native finished third with a time of 8.51, a new PR. In the pole vault, the junior placed fourth with a height of 3.90 meters. In the 400 meter dash, Elias Neely was able to take eighth place with a time of 53.44. Keon Graham, who also competed in the 60 meter hurdles, clocked in a time of 9.08, securing ninth. The men's 4x400 meter relay team, comprised of Camden Woolbright, Keon Graham, Aubrey Morris, and Josiah Heras placed seventh out of 12 with a combined time of 3:40.02.

The throwers had multiple top ten finishes in the weight throw. Collin Hutson put up a seventh place finish with a distance of 13.06 meters, setting a new PR. Grant Shankle with a PR of his own placed 9^th with a throw of 12.50 meters. Warren Gann followed up in tenth with a throw of 12.14 meters, also earning a new PR. Other PRs come from Wyatt Elliot in the mile (4:36.55), Heras in the 800 meter run (2:03.82), and Charlie McCallister also in the mile (4:57.55).

The Spartans will be competing in the AMC Indoor Track & Field Championships next weekend, Feb. 18 in Elsah, Ill. The team will be looking to earn a repeat championship title.