Owls open outdoor season at Emory

ATLANTA -- The Kenyon College Owls opened the 2025 outdoor track and field season Friday, the first day of the two-day Emory University Spring Break Classic. While the meet is not being scored at the team level, Kenyon had some solid individual results against some strong competition.

One of the Owls' top finishes came from junior Owen Rodstrom, who nearly won the 5,000-meter open run. Rodstrom ended up placing second in the event, clocking in at 15:43.61. Only Colby Wines, of Erskine College, beat Rodstrom to the line. Wines clocked in at 15:29.92. Rodstrom's time also smashed his previous best (16:09.63) in the event.

In the same race, which had 33 participants, Kenyon had three other top-20 finishers. First-year Charlie Menzel was not too far behind Rodstrom. He posted a time of 15:50.74 for fourth place. Junior Noah Hopkins ran a personal-best 16:06.08 and claimed 12th place, while senior Alex Shepherd completed the run in 16:26.16 for 20th place.

Following that open run, a 5,000-meter invitational was held and Kenyon's best in the event was senior Peter Bernhardt. He crossed the finish line in a personal-best 15:15.13. He concluded the race just ahead of teammate and junior Colt Murphy, who clocked in at 15:24.27. Among the 33 runners in the event, Bernhardt finished ninth and Murphy finished 13th. Kenyon also had junior Joshua Breard come up with a top-20 finish in the event. He stopped the clock at 15:28.93, another personal-best, for 19th place.

In the 1,500-meter race, first-year Charlie Blackmer finished in the middle of the pack. He ran a 4:03.98 and claimed 12th place among 22 other runners.

In field events, Josh Greville was the Owls' top finisher. He earned a 10th-place showing in the triple jump, covering 42-11 ¼ (13.09 meters). That was an outdoor-best mark for the Kenyon junior.

Just missing top-20 finishes were J'Sun Gardner, Marius Mazeika, and Ezekiel Kiwanuka. Gardner was 26th in the javelin, while Mazeika and Kiwanuka went 27th and 29th, respectively, in the triple jump. Gardner launched the javelin 129-11 (39.61 meters). In the triple jump, Mazeika's best measured 38-9 ¾ (11.83 meters) and Kiwanuka's best was 38-3 ½ (11.67 meters).

The Owls will remain at Emory tomorrow and finish off the second day of the Spring Break Classic before returning to campus.

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Players Mentioned

Peter Bernhardt: Senior; Distance

Joshua Breard: Junior; Distance

J'Sun Gardner: Junior; Throws

Josh Greville: Junior; Multis

Noah Hopkins: Junior; Distance

Ezekiel Kiwanuka: Junior; Jumps

Colt Murphy: Junior; Mid-Distance

Owen Rodstrom: Junior; Mid-Distance

Alex Shepherd: Senior; Distance

Charlie Blackmer: First-Year; Mid-Distance

Players Mentioned

Peter Bernhardt
: Senior; Distance

Joshua Breard
: Junior; Distance

J'Sun Gardner
: Junior; Throws

Josh Greville
: Junior; Multis

Noah Hopkins
: Junior; Distance

Ezekiel Kiwanuka
: Junior; Jumps

Colt Murphy
: Junior; Mid-Distance

Owen Rodstrom
: Junior; Mid-Distance

Alex Shepherd
: Senior; Distance

Charlie Blackmer
: First-Year; Mid-Distance