Owls finish fourth at Duane Gomez Invitational

GAMBIER, Ohio – Participating in its only home meet of the 2025 outdoor season, the Kenyon College men's track and field team hosted a field of six other teams at the Duane Gomez Invitational on Saturday afternoon from a rainy Wilder Track.

The Owls racked up 3 event wins and several more top-eight finishes en route to a fourth place performance, totalling 117 points on the day.

On the track, Kenyon's best event of the day was the 1500-meter, taking three out of the top four spots in the race. The event was highlighted by Charlie Blackmer, who charged to a 3:59.09 time, a season best for the team and a personal best for the first-year. Peter Bernhardt was not far behind, taking third with a 4:02.90 mark, while Colt Murphy made a 4:10.17 time to take fourth. All told, the Owls added 24 points in the 1500.

Another season best record fell in the 4x400-meter relay, and nearly a program record as well. The Kenyon team of Marius Mazeika, Emmanuel Makelele, Kudzaishe Mhere, and Blackmer made their four laps in 3:22.59 to give the Owls another win and another 10 points. The time was the team's season best, and under a second away from clearing a program-best.

Joshua Greville toppled another top team time in the Owls' third event win of the day in the 400-meter. The junior circled the track in a career-best 49.82 time, also besting the team's best mark by over two seconds. Mazeika took third in the race, beating his own collegiate best with a 50.67 race.

Other top times for Kenyon came in the 4x100-meter relay, as the team of Mhere, Makelele, Satchel Barnes and Julius Thompson took second out of two teams with a 42.91-second race. Also taking second was William Wilson in the 800-meter, finishing in 1:58.26.

Also proving fruitful for the Owls was the 5000-meter, as Owen Rodstrom finished third with a 15:34.07 time, followed in fourth by Noah Hopkins' 16:15.24 time and a 16:41.82 post from Charlie Menzel.

Shortening to the 200-meter, Mhere and Makalele finished back to back for fourth and fifth, running 23.17 and 23.20 races respectively. Finally, in the 100-meter, Kenyon picked up points by taking sixth through eighth, as Thompson led the way with an 11.17-second sprint, while Mhere and Makelele went back to back in seventh and eighth.

In the field, the Owls' best showing came in the discus, where first-year Graham Yeager took third with a 44.14-meter (148-1) hurl. The toss was a season and team best. In the long jump, Ezekiel Kiwanuka's 6.31-meter (20-8 ¾) leap was good enough for fourth and five points towards the team score. JT Casarico took sixth with a 5.74-meter (18-10) jump. In the triple jump, Casarico again earned points for Kenyon with a 11.62-meter (38-1 ½) score, while Mazeika wrapped things up with a 1.80-meter (5-10 ¾) hop in the high jump, good enough for sixth and three points.

Denison took home the top spot, racking up 142 points. Wittenberg and Wooster finished second and third with 121 and 120 points respectively to round out the top three.

Kenyon has one more meet before the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championships, heading to Granville, Ohio for the Denison Big Red Invitational on Friday, April 25.

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Players Mentioned

Peter Bernhardt: Senior; Distance

Noah Hopkins: Junior; Distance

Ezekiel Kiwanuka: Junior; Jumps

Emmanuel Makelele: Senior; Sprints

Colt Murphy: Junior; Mid-Distance

Owen Rodstrom: Junior; Mid-Distance

Julius Thompson: Junior; Sprints

William Wilson: Senior; Distance/Mid-Distance

Charlie Blackmer: First-Year; Mid-Distance

Charlie Menzel: First-Year; Distance

Players Mentioned

Peter Bernhardt
: Senior; Distance

Noah Hopkins
: Junior; Distance

Ezekiel Kiwanuka
: Junior; Jumps

Emmanuel Makelele
: Senior; Sprints

Colt Murphy
: Junior; Mid-Distance

Owen Rodstrom
: Junior; Mid-Distance

Julius Thompson
: Junior; Sprints

William Wilson
: Senior; Distance/Mid-Distance

Charlie Blackmer
: First-Year; Mid-Distance

Charlie Menzel
: First-Year; Distance