The Hillsdale College men's track and field team showcased its strength at home on day one of the G-MAC Outdoor Championships on Wednesday, winning two titles and scoring in all three contested events.
In the first day of competition at the Jim and Sallie McGinnis Track and Field Facility, the Chargers showed their strength in the throws with 29 total points across two events.
In the hammer, decorated senior
Ben Haas blew away the field for a repeat title, shaking off wet and adverse conditions with a throw of 67.46 meters, nearly seven meters better than second place. It's Haas' second-straight G-MAC title in the hammer throw and the eighth conference crown of his legendary career at Hillsdale.
Two other Chargers placed in the hammer throw, as senior
Matthew Belanich placed seventh with a throw of 56.74 meters, and
Dimitry Ermakov made finals with his final throw and moved into scoring position with a mark of 56.49 meters to claim eighth place and a point for Hillsdale.
In the javelin, two Chargers overcame wild, wet and windy conditions to achieve a 1-3 finish for Hillsdale. Sophomore Tommy Flud, the 2024 G-MAC Champion in the javelin, returned to the top of the podium in 2026 with a throw of 56.70 meters, nearly seven full meters clear of the runner-up. Fellow sophomore
Ethan Dorrell posted his best-ever finish at the G-MAC Championships as well, claiming third with a mark of 49.21 meters.
Hillsdale finished the night with the men's 10,000m run. Senior
Nathaniel Osborne ran a brilliant race, with an incredible sprinting finish that saw him climb several spots in the final two laps and all the way into fourth place. Osborne's time of 30:48.76 is not only a personal best but also makes him the seventh-fastest 10K runner in Hillsdale College men's history.
For the day, Hillsdale scored 34 points, good for second place overall as a team behind Tiffin with 38. There are still 18 events being contested on the track over Thursday and Friday, so a long way to go, but the Chargers are off to a solid start. Hillsdale will look to build on the momentum with another good day on Thursday, with several more G-MAC Championships up for grabs on day two of the meet.
