As the Hillsdale College men's track and field team returned to action after the Christmas break, junior
Ben Haas continued a stellar start with a strong performance at the Hoosier Horsepower Classic in Indianapolis on Saturday.
The meet not only included a strong field with multiple Big Ten schools and Division I athletes making up more than half of the competitors, but was also held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in the facility that will play host the NCAA DII Indoor Championships in March, giving Hillsdale athletes a sneak peak at the conditions they might be competing in later this winter.
Haas showed while he'll be a big name at that event with an excellent performance in the venue that will host the Indoor Championships. Already the player with the top mark in the nation at the NCAA DII level in the weight throw, Haas took second in that event with a throw of 21.42 meters, finishing behind only a top thrower from Division I University of Illinois and winning a head-to-head showdown with the only other thrower in the country so far to surpass 21 meters, Lewis' Levi Graham.
In addition to his performance in the weight throw, Haas placed sixth and earned a NCAA DII provisional qualifying mark in the shot put as well, throwing 17.10 meters. That mark would rank him 12th in NCAA DII entering the weekend, and puts him in contention to compete at the Indoor Championships in a second event.
Haas led a strong showing in the weight throw for the Hillsdale men, as senior
Matthew Belanich placed 10th with a throw of 16.73 meters and
Isaac Doughty took 12th with a throw of 16.24 as well.
On the track, senior
Jamahl Burke had a solid performance in the 400m dash, taking fifth place in a tough field with a time of 48.95 that wasn't quite a provisional qualifying mark, but is a promising time early in the season that bodes well for his chances if he can keep improving.
In the mile,
Richie Johnston finished 13th for the Chargers in 4:17.50, and freshman
Zach Self took 18th in 4:21.55.
The Chargers next compete at home this coming Saturday, as Hillsdale hosts its annual Wide Track Classic on Jan. 25.
