Stone leads Simpson to seventh at Grinnell

GRINNELL, Iowa – Matt Stone won the 800 meters and the Simpson men's track and field team turned in four other top five efforts to finish seventh at Grinnell's Darren Young Classic on Saturday.

McMurry won the meet with 120 points, followed by Nebraska Wesleyan (112), Central (83) and Augustana (52). Carleton took fifth (47), Wartburg sixth (37), Simpson seventh (31) and Coe eighth (26). Cornell (15) and Grinnell (3) rounded out the standings.

Stone trimmed more than three seconds off his previous best time in the 800, finishing in 1:56.35.

Brad Vogel provided Simpson's next-best finish, taking third in the 60-meter dash in his fastest time of the season (7.11). Josh Diehm came in fourth in the high jump, one of five athletes to clear the 6-foot-4 barrier. Ryan Edwardson added the Storm's other individual top-5 finish, taking fifth in the 5,000 meters (15:16.26).

The 4x200-meter relay team of Vogel, Brice Sheeer, Tyler Kenny and Brandon Christensen came in third (1:34.11).

Vogel added an eighth-place finish in the 200 meters (23.18) and Logan Klein came in seventh in the long jump (20-1 ½) and eighth in the triple jump (38-10 ¼).

The Simpson men will have one final tune-up before the Iowa Conference Championships when they take part in the Iowa Invitational next Friday, Feb. 17.