A three-PR weekend for Valparaiso University track & field junior
Amelia Tandy (New Albany, Ind. / New Albany) was highlighted by one of the best marks in program history in the outdoor shotput as the Beacons participated in the Badger Challenge hosted by Wisconsin in Madison, Wis. this weekend as a final tune-up for the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships.
How It Happened
- Tandy's trio of personal bests included the discus, hammer throw and shot put. She covered 12.94 meters (42-5.5) to finish fourth in the shot put, ranking fourth in program history and the best by a Valpo woman since Sarah Drozdowski in 2015.
- Tandy also PR'd in the hammer at 45.39m (148-9) and discus at 40.57m (133-1).
- Elsewhere in the throws, senior Will Rinker (Valparaiso, Ind. / Chesterton) finished third of nine in the hammer at 49.19m, highlighting his own three-PR day. Nate Smith (Lake Station, Ind. / Lake Station) led the team in the shot put with an outdoor personal best of 14.88m (48-10). Reid Davis (Nashville, Ind. / Brown County) contributed to the PRs in the throws with one of his own in the discus at 46.77m (153-5), leading the team and placing fifth in the event.
- The Beacons boasted the runner-up finisher in the men's javelin, as Brian Sponaugle (Milton, De. / Cape Henlopen) covered 53.3m (174-11) to place second of 10.
- In the jumps, AJ Walsh (Lombard, Ill. / IC Catholic Prep) placed third in the long jump at 6.43m (21-1.25), while Silas Mathis (Gary, Ind. / Merrillville) was the runner-up in the high jump at 1.87m (6-1.5).
- In the sprints, Tim Whitelaw (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) and Julianna Ferrara (Fox River Grove, Ill. / Cary-Grove) gave Valpo fifth-place finishes in both the men's and women's races. Whitelaw's time of 11.16 seconds put him fifth of 17, while Ferrara crossed the finish in 12.63 seconds. She also finished fifth of 14 in the 200 at 26.58.
- In the 800, Reilly Ritter (Tabernacle, N.J. / Seneca [FGCU]) PR'd with a fourth-place time of 2:19.87 for the women. Beacons had PRs in both genders in the 1,500 races with Tim Jochum (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Glenbard South) at 4:01.00 (10th/19) and Chante Dixon (Benoni, South Africa / Kempton Park [UTSA]) at 4:43.89 (ninth/19).
Up Next
The MVC Outdoor Championships will take place on May 17-18 hosted by Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Ill. A link to live results and video via ESPN+ will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.
