By: Connor Gulick, Head Cross Country Coach

CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Beavers hit the road for the HCAC Championships hosted by Mount St. Joseph on Saturday, Feb. 28. While the competing squad might have looked a little smaller on the day, they came ready to compete and really put on a show.

The men's side finished 9th, scoring 10 points. They were led by freshman Quince Reese (Killeen, Texas/Ellison) who kept Bluffton's spot on the podium for the 60 hurdles, finishing 3rd with a time of 8.83 which earned him All-HCAC honors. Reese later teamed up with sophomores Jalen Jackson (Memphis, Tenn./Ridgeway), Devin Homan (Dayton/Stebbins) and Hassan Greene (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Snyder) in the 4x200, running a season-best time of 1:33.14 while taking 5th in the event. Jackson also ran the 60 and finished 14th with a time of 7.21. Homan competed in the 400, finishing 9th with a time of 53.18. Greene took part in the triple jumps, finishing 9th with a jump of 12.33 meters, as well as long jump, finishing 18th with a leap of 5.65 meters.

The throws also had representation as freshmen Tony Smith (Toledo/Sylvania Southview) and Bryson Taylor (New Orleans, La./Abramson Tech Charter) both competed in shot put. Smith finished 17th with a mark of 11.53 meters while Taylor took 19th with a toss of 11.38 meters.

The women's team finished 10th, scoring nine points they led by junior Amelia Adams (Celina) who kept her spot on the podium for high jump as she finished 3rd with a season-best of 1.53 meters. Adams also competed in pole vault where she finished 6th, clearing a height of 2.75 meters and long jump where she finished 9th with a jump of 4.64 meters. Also competing for the women's team was sophomore Sara Smith (Mansfield/Madison Comprehensive) who finished 10th in the mile with a time of 5:41.19.

That concluded the indoor season for the Beavers who will kick off the outdoor campaign at Transylvania on Saturday, March 21.

-BEAVERS-