The Brock Badgers track and field teams delivered standout performances south of the border on Jan. 25. Competing at the SPIRE Midwest Invitational in Geneva, Ohio, both the men’s and women’s teams secured multiple podium finishes and season-best results.
Sarah Saldutto once again proved why she is a force to be reckoned with, delivering a gold-medal performance in the women’s long jump with a season-best mark of 5.89 metres. Her jump was nearly 20 centimetres ahead of the second-place finisher, earning her first gold medal of the season in the event and marking her third podium finish overall. Saldutto carried this momentum into the 60-metre hurdles, where she clocked the fastest preliminary time of 8.60 seconds before securing another gold in the final with a time of 8.72 seconds. Her latest victories bring her total to four gold medals this season.
Brock’s success extended beyond Saldutto, with strong performances in the field events. Olivia Mark and Sajini Ganeshamurthi represented the Badgers in the women’s triple jump, finishing sixth and seventh respectively. In the shot put, Megan Jaques secured a top 10 finish with an 11.41-metre throw while recording an 11th-place finish in the weight throw at 13.12 metres.
On the men’s side, pole vaulter Michael Ivanov continued his strong season, earning a third-place finish in the elite category with a 4.85-metre clearance. Ivanov, who had already captured four gold medals this season, reaffirmed his standing as one of Brock’s top field athletes.
Brock’s runners also put in competitive performances on the track. Keshawn Igbinosun earned a bronze medal in the men’s 400-metre dash, crossing the finish line in 49.25 seconds, just 25 milliseconds away from a silver medal. The men’s one-mile race saw two Badgers finish in the top 10, with Christian Ligtenberg placing eighth with a time of 4:19.92 and Garrett Wager following in ninth at 4:21.28. Meanwhile, Colton Spencer delivered a strong showing in the men’s 60-metre sprint, finishing 13th out of 91 competitors in the preliminaries with a time of 7.09 seconds.
Brock’s relay teams also put forth competitive efforts. The men’s 4×400 relay team secured a podium finish, taking third place with a time of 3:24.05. The women’s 4×400 team placed eighth, finishing 4:12.95.
The Badgers’ skills were evident across the board, with additional athletes competing in the 60-metre dashes, one-mile runs and jumping events. In the women’s 60-metre prelims, Sofia Aljournmi placed 17th (8.09) while Keira Arnild finished 34th (8.35). On the distance side, Hailee Masse ran a strong 5:09.60 in the women’s mile to secure fourth place, with Lauren Mascao close behind in sixth [5:11.56]. Jolanta Clark (5:36.68) and Cori Mascai (5:17.28) also put in solid performances.
With each meet, the Badgers continue to demonstrate their ability to compete against top-tier teams. Their performances in Ohio reflect their potential, setting the expectation for continued success this season.