The West Liberty University Indoor Track team travelled to Youngstown State University this past weekend to compete in the YSU National Mid-Major Invitational. This marked the sixth meet of the season for the Hilltoppers, and their first two-day event of the 2021-2022 calendar. This meet came just one week after the Toppers set multiple school records at Youngstown State last weekend at the YSU College Indoor Invitational.

One major highlight of the weekend for West Liberty came in the Men’s Heptathlon where Adam O’Donnell finished second overall and top-three in six out of seven events. O’Donnell held the lead until the penultimate event, the pole vault, but was defeated by Slippery Rock’s Jason Goodman after Goodman put up first-place results in the last two events.

In the Women’s Pentathlon, Meghan Hawthorne finished 16th, while Zayne Brakeall finished 20th in-part due to a disqualification for running around a hurdle in the 60 meter hurdle event. Hawthorne put up an impressive 9.90-meter score in the shot put event, placing her in third place.

Senior Michael Harriman won the Men’s 800 Meter Run event for West Liberty, beating IUP’s Kendall Brennan to the line by 0.27 seconds. The victory for Harriman comes just one week after he set the West Liberty school record in the One Mile Run at Youngstown. Harriman’s time of 1:53.91 was just 0.16 seconds off of the WLU school record of 1:53.75 in the event, which was set by Tavian Richardson in 2020.

Other highlights of the weekend for the Hilltoppers included a ninth-place finish for Kelsi Hulit in the Women’s Weight Throw event with a score of 14.45 meters, an eighth-place finish for freshman Mikhi Anderson in the Men’s 60 Meter Hurdles event, a seventh-place finish by Hailey Carreon in the Women’s 60 Meter Hurdles and a third-place finish in the Seeded Men’s High Jump event by freshman Liam Vinskovich, who turned in a score of 1.95 meters.

Also present at the meet were Mountain East Conference foes Davis & Elkins, Frostburg State, Glenville State, West Virginia Wesleyan and Wheeling University. The MEC was represented well by a victory in the Men’s 4×400 Relay for Wheeling University as well as a win by Jabez Reeves for Wheeling in the Men’s 60 Meter Dash. Also representing the MEC was Men’s One Mile Winner Carter McKenna for Davis & Elkins and West Virginia Wesleyan’s Oliver French, who scored a victory in the 60 Meter Dash portion of the Men’s Heptathlon.

Just one event remains before the National Qualifiers in the indoor portion of West Liberty’s track season, next Saturday, Feb. 5, in Alliance, Ohio at the University of Mount Union for the Jim Wuske Invitational. The event will begin at 10 a.m. in the Peterson Fieldhouse.

For more information about West Liberty Track and Field, visit Hilltoppersports.com.