Redhawks Break Records at GVSU Holiday Open
ALLENDALE, Mich. – Program records were falling in Michigan on Friday for the Roberts Wesleyan track and field team at the Grand Valley State Holiday Open. Three records were broken in total and one other top-three mark was set.
The men’s 5,000-meter group passed around records in the event throughout the meet. Around 2:00 p.m. senior Blake Kasper won his heat of the 5,000m with program record breaking time of 14:41.54. Teammate Jackson Doran in the same heat crossed the line in 14:53.64 which also surpassed the previous program record of 14:54.02. About six hours later, senior Owen White shattered the new record Kasper had set by running 14:31.76 in the 5,000m race. White’s time was nearly four seconds faster than his current outdoor track and field 5,000m time.
In the women’s 5,000m, Acacia Barber broke the Roberts record with a time of 17:31.91. The previous record was 17:40.61 set by Kim Cipura in 2002. Barber also ran two seconds faster than the current outdoor 5,000m record.
Rachel Horner Richardson won her heat of the 5,000m crossing the line in 18:00.29 which was the third best time in Roberts history.
Zoe Perkins (18:50.26) and Lydia Roselund(18:56.99) both set personal bests in the 5,000m breaking 19 minutes for the first time ever.
Grad student Ryan Karker posted his second-best ever time in the mile with a time of 4:13.76.
The Redhawks will be on a break until Jan. 20 when the team travels down the road to the Brockport Invitational.