The Aurora University men's track and field team made its first ever trip to the NCAA-NAIA Challenge at Olivet Nazarene University.  The Spartans broke two middle distance school records and solidified their perch at the top of the NACC in the short sprinting events.
 
On Friday night, the men's 4x800 meter relay smashed the school record—running 8:00.15 for second overall.  The quartet of Alex Duncan, Matt Meyers, Jaime Charles, and Roberto Gonzalez will surely have more opportunities to set a new standard, as Meyers is a freshman, Duncan and Charles are sophomores (and roommates) and Gonzalez is the elder statesman as a junior.
 
Doubling back in the mile on Saturday afternoon, Meyers decided not to settle for one school record.  The first-year ran 4:26.58 for fourth place and an all-time Spartan best.  Six seconds in arrears was fifth-year senior Drew Schmitt, who ran 4:32.74 for a new indoor personal best and the fourth fastest time in school history.  After this weekend, Aurora now owns ten of the top twelve NACC times in the mile this season.
 
The middle distance crew is not the only event group primed for a big point total at the conference meet.  After Saturday's action, Spartan sprinters now have the top three NACC spots in the 60 and 200 meter dashes.  Freshman Terry Moore edged teammate Tyron Pitchford by thousandths of a second for 9^th place in the 200; both were credited with a time of 23.32 seconds, which is tied for fourth best in school history. (Pitchford has the school record from 2013) Along with Wade Robinson, the trio rank 1-2-3 in the NACC.
 
Robinson and Pitchford were joined by freshman Devon Bice to create another NACC-leading triumvirate, this time in the 60 meters.  Bice ran 7.22 seconds in his college debut to grab sixth place in the meet and the #4 spot on the AU top times list.
 
In the jumps, two national-class Spartans finished second in their respective events. Junior co-captain Loren Iwanicki leapt a solid 1.96 meters (6 feet, 5 inches) in the high jump.  That is five centimeters shy of his best mark from earlier this season, which ranks 15^th in all of Division III.  And first-year Deven Thompson hopped, skipped, and jumped 13.51m (44-4) for second place in the triple jump; that's #1 in the NACC and top 40 in DIII.
 
The Spartans return to Olivet this Saturday, February 1^st for the ONU Quad Meet.