Simpson runs well at Messersmith Invite

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Kinsey Bak won the javelin throw and the Simpson track and field teams posted some of its best performances of the season Friday at the Mark Messersmith Invitational.

No team scores were kept at the meet, which featured athletes from Iowa, Drake, Northern Iowa, Coe and Western Illinois.

Bak threw the javelin a career-long 118-feet, 9 inches to win the event, which was just one of several season and career-best efforts on the day.

Catie Ellingson ran her best 800 meters of the season, posting a time of 2:13.24 to place second behind Coe's defending national champion, Keelie Finnel. The time is tied for 17th in the nation.

Bayley Fleshner took fifth in the 100-meter hurdles with a season-best time of 15.04, the 44th-fastest time in the nation.

Sammy Nelson shaved four seconds in the 400 meters, finishing in 1:02.44 to place fifth. Hannah Moulds came in sixth in the 100 hurdles, posting her best time of the season (15.21)

On the men's side, Ben Coy led the way with career-bests in the 200 and 400 meters.

Coy placed second in the 400, taking more than half a second off his previous top mark with a 48.79, the No. 34 time in the nation. He added his quickest time of the season in the 200 (22.37) to place fourth.

Logan Klein chipped in a second-place showing in the long jump, touching the sand the furthest he has this season at 21-feet, ½ inches.

Sophomore Ted Heying registered the best effort of his career in the 110-meter hurdles, placing fourth in 15.92 seconds.

Other season-best efforts of note came from Tyler Kenny in the 100 meters (5th, 11.45) and Dan Williams in the javelin throw (7th, 154-feet, 8 inches).

John Warnke (6th in the 1500 meters, 4:16.05) and Brandon Christensen (7th in the 800 meters, 1:59.98) ended the day with personal records in their respective events.

Next up for the Storm are the Iowa Conference Championships, which take place May 11-12 in Dubuque, Iowa at the University of Dubuque.