Moon dazzles again en route to 3,000 meter win and conference MVP award

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Spencer Moon of the Simpson College men's track and field team added to his illustrious resume by being named the conference's Most Valuable Performer after successfully defending his indoor 3,000-meter title at the American Rivers Conference Championships.

One day after defending his 5,000-meter title, Moon did the same in the 3,000 in similar fashion. Moon sat in third place biding his time until about a mile to go, when he accelerated past the first two runners, winning from a comfortable position by the end of the race.

Moon earns his second career indoor track MVP honor, the first athlete since Loras's Patrick Mikel in 2019-20 to win the award in back-to-back years. Adding in his outdoor MVP award last season, Moon equals Simpson great Kip Janvrin as the only athletes in school history to earn a conference track MVP award three times.

"Spencer to defend his conference MVP award is no easy task," said Storm director of track and field and cross country Heath Moenck. "In a league full of the nation's top performers, it is exciting for him to be named MVP and we cannot be more proud of his accomplishments."

The Storm men finished sixth in the team race with 62.5 points. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Moon has now won his last seven individual track and field races at the conference championships (2x outdoor 5,000 meters, 2x indoor 5,000 meters, 2x indoor 3,000 meters, 1x outdoor 10,000 meters).
• Moon's time of 8:16.11 also broke the previous facility and championship record set in 2022.
• Max Cleveland collected his second straight all-conference honor in the 60 meter hurdles with a second-place finish in a time of 8.19.
• Ulysses Patterson also earned his second consecutive all-conference honor in the pentathlon, finishing with 4,719 points.
• The men's 4x800 meter relay team, composed of Corbin Truitt, Adam Gruhn, James Murray, and Cade Mash, broke the school record that had stood since 2016 with a time of 7:55.90.
• Cleveland then earned the fifth all-conference honor of his career by anchoring the 4x400 meter relay team to a third-place finish.
• Cleveland was joined by Joseph Sams, Blake DePhillips, and Brenden Godbout in running a time of 3:21.13, good for seventh all-time in school history.
• Ean Warrick took sixth in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:33.78, the time now the second-fastest in school history.
• Murray ran a 4:14.62 in the mile to claim fifth place, moving up to third all-time in school history.

MEN'S MEET REPORT

• 60 Meter Hurdles Final - 2. Max Cleveland, 8.19 | 8. Brenden Godbout, 8.48
• 200 Meters - 9. Joseph Sams, 22.52 (tied PB) | 16. Kendrick Achebe, 23.17 (SB) | 28. Jacob French, 25.57
• 400 Meters - 18. Kenley Crouthamel, 57.84
• 800 Meters - 14. Nick Frideres, 2:03.78 (PB) | 16. Trent Pelzer, 2:06.04
• Mile - 5. James Murray, 4:14.62 (PB) | 11. Cole Leggett, 4:31.32 | 15. Andrew Klein, 4:38.05 | 20. Blake Croushore, 4:43.76
• 3,000 Meters - 1. Spencer Moon, 8:16.11 | 6. Ean Warrick, 8:33.78 (PB) | 15. Jack Gatti, 8:59.69 (PB) | 21. Miles Combs, 9:04.05 | 25. Louden Foster, 9:11.51 (SB) | 28. Marc Medici, 9:18.02
• Heptathlon - 3. Ulysses Patterson, 4,719 | 5. Clarke Latcham, 4,640 (SB)
• Weight Throw - 20. Brandon Greiner, 12.82m
• High Jump - t-8. JR Knauss, 1.87m (SB)
• 4x400 Meter Relay - 3. Sams, Godbout, DePhillips, Cleveland, 3:21.13 (PB)
• 4x800 Meter Relay - 5. Truitt, Gruhn, Murray, Mash, 7:55.90 (SR)

*SR denotes school record, PB denotes personal best, SB denotes season best

UP NEXT
Some Storm athletes will head to Wartburg next weekend to compete at the Wartburg Qualifier in hopes of cementing a spot at the NCAA DIII Indoor Championships.