CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The UT Southern men's track & field team closed out the regular season with a strong showing at the Lee Last Chance Meet, highlighted by an NAIA "A" standard performance from Frankline Kipruto and a breakthrough race from Martin Van Hamme in the 5000 meters.
Kipruto delivered one of the top performances of the meet in the men's 10,000 meters, capturing the event title with a winning time of 30:23.07. The sophomore's mark secured the NAIA "A" standard and further solidified his position among the top distance runners in the NAIA heading into the postseason.
Freshman Martin Van Hamme continued his standout outdoor season with a milestone performance in the men's 5000 meters. Van Hamme broke the 15-minute barrier for the first time in his collegiate career, clocking a personal-best time of 14:54.60 to finish 11th overall in a loaded field.
Silas Hatton turned in a strong all-around day for the Firehawks, competing in both the sprints and jumps. Hatton posted a time of 10.86 in the men's 100-meter preliminaries while also recording a leap of 6.28 meters (20 feet, 7.25 inches) in the long jump.
In the field events, Jacob Sanchez added another solid performance in the javelin throw, placing eighth overall with a top mark of 51.92 meters (170 feet, 4 inches).
Bruno Villazon also represented the Firehawks in the distance events during the meet as UT Southern continued to test itself against strong regional competition ahead of the postseason.
The Firehawks now turn their attention toward postseason competition as UT Southern prepares for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.
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