t was another solid outing for the Jackrabbit Track and Field teams as they finished up their final meet of the season in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this past Saturday.

The Jacks men’s team ended the 2016 campaign with a surprising second-place finish, led by senior Jeremiah Ary, who defended his title in the triple jump, coming away with his second Summit League Championship crown.

“He’s a guy who is very consistent in the Summit League Championships, even though he had a little stumble the last year. His score helped us match with the points we needed,” said Head Coach Rod DeHaven.

The Jacks also got a strong contribution for sophomore Cal Lawton who placed first in the men’s 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.69. It is Lawton’s first ever Summit League title.

The most top 10 finishes from the Jackrabbit squad came in the 5,000-meter run in which the Jacks had four runners complete the race in this range. They were led by two-time Summit League Track and Field outdoor winner and former 5,000-meter indoor champion Trent Lusignan who placed third. He was followed by Trevor Capra, Connor Branick and Brendan Sage who placed sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.

After missing time this season with an Achilles injury, Lusignan had to get an injection in his calf to help with the pain so he would be able to compete.

“I thought he had a pretty amazing run due to the circumstances,” DeHaven said.

DeHaven credited his team for their effort and toughness his team displayed throughout the season. In this past weekend’s meet, everyone that competed for the men’s team scored, a rare accomplishment which benefitted to them finishing with the second place finish.

“We had so many performances like that on the men’s side, I am very proud of our guys,” DeHaven said.

On the women’s side, the Jacks finished in a modest third place. Going up against North Dakota State and University of South Dakota, the Jacks knew they had an uphill battle going into the competition.

“It was about what we expected. We got some nice performances across the board,” DeHaven said.

The women’s team was led by Jazzelena Black, a senior from Oxnard, California, who ended the day with two championships, one in the long jump and another in the triple jump. These were Black’s first indoor Summit League Championships. She had previously won championships in the triple jump and 4×100-meter relay in the outdoor championships.

“She really did a nice job,” DeHaven said. “She did what we expected of her and what we needed as a team.” 

SDSU had women finish in the top 10 in both the mile and 5,000-meter runs. 

“The women fought hard and had numerous personal bests,” DeHaven said. “We didn’t have the firepower the first two teams had, but we made the most of scoring opportunities.”

Even though the indoor season has come to a close, the Jacks Track and Field team will be still working as the outdoor season is right around the corner. The outdoor season will begin at the end of March.