WOOSTER, Ohio – The Kenyon College men's track and field team returned to familiar territory on Saturday afternoon, traveling once again to The College of Wooster for the Fighting Scots Invitational. Behind a balanced performance across the track and field events, the Owls edged out conference rival Denison University to claim the win in the three-team meet, finishing with 90 points. Denison followed closely with 88 points, while host Wooster placed third with 79.
Kenyon's success was fueled by several event victories and key performances. Distance was key as sophomore Charlie Blackmer led a strong showing in the 3,000 meters, winning the race in 8:47.57. Senior Colt Murphy added five more points with a runner-up finish, clocking in at 8:59.94.
In the field, first-year Zavier McGhee delivered yet another outstanding performance, sweeping the jumps. McGhee captured first place in both the high jump (1.85m) and triple jump (12.25m), while also contributing in the long jump. Sophomore Kashi Tomic added another event win for the Owls by securing the long jump title with a leap of 5.90 meters, and senior Ezekiel Kiwanuka rounded out the scoring in that event with a third-place finish, leaping 5.73 meters.
The Owls also found points on the track in the sprints and middle distances. Kudzaishe Mhere (7.23) and Tomic (7.25) finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 60 meters, while Texas native Julius Thompson (23.70) placed second in the 200 meters to add five points. In the 800 meters, first-year Champ Blose finished in 2:03.73, granting him fourth-place while sophomore Dylan Ryznar finished fourth with a time of 2:03.97, bolstering Kenyon's team total.
Kenyon's relay squads contributed valuable points as well. The 4x200-meter relay team of Thompson, Mhere, Satchel Barnes, and Joshua Greville finished second with a time of 1:32.82. The Owls sealed the meet with a third-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay with a mark of 3:43.73, as sophomore JT Casarico filled in for Barnes to help secure the narrow team victory.
In the throwing events, sophomore Graham Yeager came in fourth (11.58m) while teammate Anthony Magera slotted in at eighth (10.38m), scoring a combined five points. Yeager and D.C native James Gaeta added three points in the weight throw to help maintain Kenyon's edge in the standings.
Up next, the Owls will travel to Wittenberg University on January 31, with competition set to begin at 11 a.m.
