Senior Dan Ruge (Chesterton, IN/Chesterton) led the way for the Wabash College track and field team on Saturday at the Gerald England Invitational, hosted by the University of Indianapolis. Ruge scored 12 points to help Wabash to 35.50 in the final team scoring.
Ruge took second place in the 1500-meter run, finishing less than a second behind the winner, Douglas Schwartz from Southern Indiana. Ruge finished in 3:59.54, while Schwartz outouched him at the tape with a winning time of 3:58.88. Ruge added a fifth place finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:58.51.
Dustin Beck (New Carlisle, IN/New Prairie) took sixth place in the 10,000-meter run, touring the course in 34:46.54. Senior R.J. Metz (Carmel, IN/Westfield-Washington) added three points to the team score with a sixth place finish in the 400 meter hurdles (1:00.76). The final points on the track came from the Wabash 4 X 400-meter relay team. The foursome of Nathan Bates (FR/Ossian, IN/Norwell), Steve Cottom (JR/Rosedale, IN/Riverton Parke), Wes Jacks (West Lafayette, IN/Harrison), and Josh Jones (FR/(North Richland Hills, TX/Nolan Catholic) took second behind the Danville Area Community College. The Little Giants were outleaned at the line, finishing 1/100th of the second behind the winners. DAAC took the win with a time of 3:22.59, while Wabash scored second at 3:22.60.
Sean Gerold (JR/Crawfordsville, IN/Crawfordsville) was seventh in the hammer throw, finishing with a throw of 128 feet, three inches. Jones took fifth in the high jump, clearing 5-10.75. He also added a seventh in the long jump (20-4.25)
The University of Indianapolis won the meet with 167.33 points. Bellermine (63) was second, followed by DAAC (55), Southern Indiana (50), and Wittenberg (49). Vincennes was sixth (48.66), while the Indiana Invaders Track Club (46) and Illinois Wesleyan (41) finished ahead of the Little Giants. Marian (29), DePauw (28.50), Butler (24), North Park (23.50), St. Francis (19), Franklin (14.50), Evansville (8), IUPUI (8), and Dayton (2) rounded out the team scoring.
Wabash will participate in the Machester Invitational on Saturday.