MARYVILLE, Mo. - William Woods University's Ben Speaks, the reigning MSHSAA Class 2 triple jump state champion and New Bloomfield's record holder in the event, did the triple jump for the first time in college and earned silver with a distance of 13.41 meters (44 feet), 0.21m (0-8¼) back of the winner, in the Coach Richard Alsup Open, hosted by NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State University Saturday at Hughes Fieldhouse. The Owls' 4x800-meter relay team of Ethan Wilson, Ian Schwierjohn, Blaine Brodersen and Oshawi Burgher also recorded a second-place showing, clocking in at 8 minutes and 1.62 seconds.

"After a month off, the kids did amazing," William Woods track and field coach Anthony Stockton said. "The success William Woods will share will be due to their hard work, ability to handle adversity and determination to be the best. I am a proud coach."

The Owls notched a pair of top-five placings with personal records in track events, as Jenson Starr took fourth in the 5,000-meter run at 15:05.24 and Burgher fifth in the 600-yard at 1:14.78.

Speaks and Jamel Jones leaped with the best of the competition for WWU, each tallying two top-10 displays in jump events. Outside of the triple jump, Speaks placed sixth in the long jump at 6.37m (20-10¾). Jones finished fifth in the long jump at a PR 6.38m (20-11¼) and ninth in the triple jump at 12.45m (40-10¼).

Along with his silver medal in the 4x800, Wilson was a part of the Owls' other top 10 relay team, their 4x400 'A' group of Brady Musgrove, Angel Lottie, Wilson and Tanner Gillaspy, which placed eighth at 3:30.07 - WWU's best time in the event this season.

William Woods' next meet is the Monmouth Midwest Invitational, hosted by NCAA Division III Monmouth College at 4 p.m. Friday at April Zorn Memorial Stadium in Monmouth, Illinois.

Results

60-Meter Dash Prelims
30 - Jacob Polacek 7.29
40 - Ben Speaks 7.34 (First Collegiate Meet)
DNS - Noah Phillips

200-Meter Dash
24 - Ben Speaks 23.4 (First Collegiate Meet)
32 - Jacob Polacek 23.62

400-Meter Dash
14 - Demario Wright 51.48 (First Collegiate Time)
16 - Angel Lottie 52.29 (PR at WWU, college best - 52.17 for now-defunct Iowa Wesleyan)
18 - Wyatt Martin 52.74
21 - Brady Musgrove 52.88 (PR, prev. 53.01 at Iowa Wesleyan)
30 - Tanner Gillaspy 54.62
35 - Keeley Diblasi 55.83

600-Yard Run
5 - Oshawi Burgher 1:14.78 (PR, prev. 1:14.93)
19 - James Ruck 1:26.73

800-Meter Run
23 - Blaine Brodersen 2:02.56
38 - Gabriel Soest 2:06.74 (First Collegiate Meet)
DNS - Ethan Wilson
DNS - Chais Paul

One-Mile Run
16 - Ian Schwierjohn 4:28.42 (PR, prev. 4:30.77)
39 - Dustin Russell 4:58.55
45 - Chais Paul 5:07.08 (PR, prev. 5:16.83)
47 - Justus Yates 5:19.25 (First Collegiate Indoor Track and Field Meet)

3,000-Meter Run
18 - Kyle Hagemeyer 9:17.37
36 - Chais Paul 10:54.28 (First Collegiate Time)
DNS - Jenson Starr

5,000-Meter Run
4 - Jenson Starr 15:05.24 (PR, prev. 15:16.39)
32 - Justus Yates 17:42.35 (First Collegiate Indoor Track and Field Meet)

High Jump
16 - Jacob Polacek 1.78m (5-10) (PR, prev. 1.76m [5-9¼])

Long Jump
5 - Jamel Jones 6.38m (20-11¼) (PR, prev. 5.98m [19-7½])
6 - Ben Speaks 6.37m (20-10¾) (First Collegiate Meet)

Triple Jump
2 - Ben Speaks 13.41m (44-0) (First Collegiate Meet)
9 - Jamel Jones 12.45m (40-10¼)
13 - Jacob Polacek 11.94m (39-2¼) (PR, prev. 10.77m [35-4]

4x400-Meter Relay
8 - Brady Musgrove, Angel Lottie, Ethan Wilson and Tanner Gillaspy 3:30.07 (Owls' Best Time This Season)
14 - Keeley DiBlasi, Gabriel Soest, Oshawi Burgher and Blaine Brodersen 3:37.57

4x800-Meter Relay
2 - Ethan Wilson, Ian Schwierjohn, Blaine Brodersen and Oshawi Burgher 8:01.62