Maryville, MO – When Indian Hills Track & Field signed freshman Kenny Bednarek out of Rice Lake High School in Wisconsin, it was heralded by the coaching staff as one of the biggest signings in program history. Bednarek had run the 7th fastest 200-meter time by a high school athlete in US History at 20.43 that spring, and had garnered the attention of nearly every major, division I college in the country. Saturday, Bednarek delivered on the hype.
The freshman cranked out a school record, meet record, current collegiate, and world leading time in the 400-meter run. Bednarek's time of 45.93-seconds was good enough to win the race by nearly 3-seconds, and sparked a career day for the program that included: 4 athletes punching their tickets to NJCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, 7 athletes setting new school-records, and numerous personal-bests at the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic hosted by Northwest Missouri State University.
Coach Brent Ewing said, "Kenny's performance speaks for itself. He's not one to do a lot talking, but I think it's clear that he is a different breed of athlete". Ewing continued, "After missing two weeks in November with an injury, we almost didn't race him. He wasn't given the green light to race until Thursday, two days before the meet. Neither of us expected he would run something so fast, so early."
Sophomore Josh Raphael joined Bednarek in laying down impressive, collegiate leading times in his opener. Raphael won the 60-meter dash in a time of 6.72-seconds. That mark is: an IHCC School-Record, the Hughes Fieldhouse facility-record, the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic Record, the fastest time in the NJCAA this year, and currently is the 3rd fastest time run by a collegiate athlete, regardless of division, in the country.
Ewing said of Raphael's performance, "I am so proud of Joshua Raphael. This is a young man who you hope your children grow up to like some day. He's been through a lot this past year with injuries. I could not think of a more deserving person of such a performance than Josh."
However, Raphael wasn't the only Warrior to punch his ticket to the NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the event on the day. Freshman Tyler Dunigan finished 2nd in the 60-meter dash in a time of 6.83-seconds. That time currently is the 2nd fastest time in the NJCAA (behind Raphael), and was .06-seconds under Raphael's previous school-record set during the 17-18 track and field season.
Freshman Elijah Barnes joined Bednarek, Raphael, and Dunigan as the 4th and final athlete to punch his ticket to the NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Pittsburg, Kansas on March 2nd & 3rd. Barnes, a freshman from Fort Madison, Iowa, finished runner-up in the shot put. His heave of 14.85-meters is the 2nd furthest throw in IHCC School-History. Barnes preceded that performance by breaking the IHCC School-Record in the weight throw. His mark of 12.57-meters breaks the mark set by National Runner-up and All-American Nathan Winters.
If these performances, weren't enough, the Warriors went on to break four more school records on the day. Tyler Dunigan broke the school-record in the long jump with a mark of 6.77-meters. Narrowly edging that set by sophomore Bernard McCann last year.
Freshman Tracy Gates broke the school-record in the triple jump, and cleaned up the win with a mark of 14.03-meters, missing qualifying by a mere .07-meters.
Freshman Haley Revel broke the school-record in the shot put by over a meter with a heave 11.67-meters. Besting the previous mark by over a meter.
Finally, freshman Kohner Butts tore down the IHCC school-record in the 600-meter run. His converted time from the 600-yard left him with a mark of 1:23:00, narrowly missing qualifying for nationals in the event.
"Today was an extremely special day for our program. With it being the first meet of the year, you never know what to expect. It's more or less a rust buster. So to have our team walk away with 7 school-records, and 4 national qualifiers is incredible", said Ewing.
The Men's & Women's Track & Field teams will be back in action, back at Northwest Missouri State for the Bearcat Invitational on January 19th!