McKinley, Paulsen lead balanced Mustangs effort

ORANGE CITY, Iowa — The Morningside men's track and field team recorded multiple Top 8 finishes Friday night at the Northwestern Invite, highlighted by podium performances in both distance and field events.

Luke Paulsen led the Mustangs in the field with a third-place finish in the javelin, recording a throw of 175 feet, 11 inches, his second longest throw of the season.

On the track, Eein McKinley delivered a podium finish in the 5,000 meters, placing third in 16:32.15. The junior stayed near the front of the pack throughout and closed strong over the final laps to secure Morningside's top track performance of the meet.

Morningside also found success in the 5,000 meters beyond McKinley, placing two additional runners inside the Top 8. RC Hicks finished sixth in 16:57.05, while Parker Halder placed eighth in 17:13.70, giving the Mustangs strong depth in the distance event.

Jaelonni Small added a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, crossing in 58.60. The freshman continues to show growth in the event and contributed another Top 5 effort for the Mustangs.