On Friday January 23 and Saturday, January 24, 2015 the Aurora University men's indoor track and field team traveled to Monmouth College to compete in the Monmouth College Midwest Indoor Invitational. AU had a good performance at the meet with three AU records falling while finishing second with 117 points.

Friday saw the heptathlon and the seven events that make up the overall event take place. Spartans taking part in the heptathlon were sophomore athlete Robert Sprung, sophomore Spencer Littlefield, freshman Mark Rudelich and sophomore Luis Salgado. Events included in the heptathlon are the 60 meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60 meter hurdles, pole vault and the 1000 meter run. Taking second place was Sprung with 3754 points. In fourth place Littlefield with 3375, Rudelich (fifth- 3355) and Salgado (eighth- 2719).

Saturday morning brought the remainder of the teams to the Invitational. In the 60 meter dash AU freshman Leo Okeke placed third with a time of 7.07. Okeke then followed his performance in the 60 with a record setting time in the 200 meter dash. Okeke finished fourth with a time of 22.75. Running with him were freshman Desmond Barrett (20^th- 24.44) and freshman Brandon Davis (36^th- 25.69).

Bobby Cooks broke his own AU record as he took second in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.42. He set the new school record (8.34) in the qualifying round. Along with Cooks in the hurdle finals was sophomore Taylor Coleman (fourth – 8.69), freshman Asante Hawkins (13^th- 9.93) and freshman Terrance Nicholas (14^th- 10.21).

The third and final record of the day to fall for the AU men came in the pole vault. Freshman Leonard Becerra set the new mark with his vault of 4.15 meters which placed him seventh. Other Spartan men in the pole vault were freshman Sean Ganey (12^th- 3.85m) and freshman Brandon Davis (13^th- 3.85m).

In the 600 meter run senior Cody McSorely finished sixth with a time of 1:31.11 and Ganey finished eighth with a time of 1:32.47. The 800 meter run was led by  sophomore Matt Meyers ran a time of 2:03 and placed twelfth. Meyers was joined by senior Roberto Gonzalez (19^th- 2:07), sophomore Kun Deng (26^th- 2:13), freshman Dominique Cole (27^th- 2:16) and sophomore Dan Morgan (31^st- 2:19).

In the one mile Meyers placed third with a time of 4:31. Along with him were junior Alex Duncan (10^th- 4:50), Morgan (14^th- 4:54), sophomore D.J. Wolfram (15^th- 4:58), sophomore Nick Shaw (18^th- 5:15), freshman Dylan Schatz (20^th- 5:25) and senior Doug Belling (21^st- 5:27). Spartan runner Jimmy Baeskens placed 13^th in the 3000 meter run with a time of 9:26. Teammates who competed with him were junior Calvin Robinson (14^th- 9:30), freshman Anthony Barrios (15^th- 9:32), senior Nick Cole (17^th- 9:37), senior Brandon Miller (25^th- 9:52), senior Matt Swanson (27^th- 9:58) sophomore Luke Miller (32^nd- 10:27) and sophomore Cody McDougall (35^th- 11:09). The 5,000 meter run was ran by senior Pete Jaros (third- 16:00), junior Nick Quiroz (fourth- 16:11), and sophomore Ben Ervin (10^th- 16:38).

The Spartans distance medley relay 'A' team placed second with a time of 10:42. The team consisted of junior Calvin Robinson, freshman Jaylen Robinson, junior Alex Duncan and freshman Anthony Barrios. The AU 'B' team placed fourth with a time of 11:27. The team consisted of senior Nick Cole, senior Matt Swanson, senior Brandon Miller and senior Roberto Gonzalez.

In the high jump senior Loren Iwanicki placed third jumping a height of 1.89m. Other jumpers included freshman Nick Majka (fourth- 1.89m), junior Brian Rudelich (fifth- 1.84m) and freshman Frank Furco (eighth- 1.74m).

Long jumpers at the meet included Cooks who took second with a jump of 6.47 meters. Jumpers also included freshman Deon Conway who placed third with a jump of 6.29 meters. Other Spartans who competed were Mario Tinsley (ninth- 5.81m), freshman De'Angelo Cross (10^th- 5.69m), freshman Desmond Barrett (13^th- 5.52m) and freshman Jonathan Martinez (15^th- 4.77m). Triple jumpers of the meet included Cross (fourth - 12.70m), Conway (fourth-12.70m) and Tinsley (seventh- 12.51m).

The throwers round out the meet results with the shot put competitors being freshman Brandon Pichen (15^th- 11.18m), freshman Eddie Gonzalez (17^th- 11.12m), freshman Jordan Linson (19^th- 11.00m), freshman Josiah Douglas (20^th- 10.90m), senior Pietro Alfano (23^rd- 10.47m) and senior Thomas Rose (24^th- 10.40m). In the weight throw Gonzalez threw 12.29m placing 12^th. With him was Pichen (13^th- 11.88m), Douglas (21^st- 10.40m), Linson (22^nd- 10.39m), Hargrave (28^th- 8.50m), Rose (29^th- 8.45), Alfano (30^th- 8.28m) and Murtaugh (31^st- 6.70m).

Next action for the Spartan track and field team comes on Friday, January 30 when they travel to the Carthage College Tadd Metzger Invitational. Meet time is set for 3:30 p.m. in Kenosha, Wisconsin.