The Valparaiso University men's and women's track & field teams competed in their final tune-up prior to the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships on Friday at the DePaul Alumni Classic at Gately on Chicago's southside. Senior Alina Worzella (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville) cracked the program's all-time top five.
 
How It Happened

• Worzella posted a mile time of 4:59.55, becoming the first Beacon to finish in under five minutes in the women's mile since 2014. She cracked the program's all-time top 5 in that event. She finished in seventh of 30 in the event.
• Freshman Joey Yaros (Bloomington, Ill. / Normal Community) set a PR in the 800, stopping the clock in 1:55.10 to finish 13^th of 28. He was followed by sophomore teammate Ferdinand Rosa (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico / American Military Academy), who was 16^th at 1:56.25.
• In the men's 3000, freshman Braden Hoff (New Lenox, Ill. / Lincoln-Way Central) enjoyed a top-10 finish in a 22-runner field, stopping the clock in 8:34.21. He was followed by junior Noah Meacham (Tulsa, Okla. / Broken Arrow), who was 12^th at 8:40.46.
• On the women's side, junior Laetitia Raoult (Guingamp, France / Florida International) led the team at 10:19.70.
• In the pole vault, Oliver Koch (Angola, Ind. / Angola) cleared 14-3.25, placing 11^th and turning in the team's best mark of the season in that event.

 
Up Next
The Beacons will begin the MVC Indoor Championships on Sunday, March 1 in Indianapolis.