Montreat, N.C. - The Marian men's track and field team opened their 2024 outdoor season over the weekend, competing at the Montreat College Open. Marian won the meet as the events were scored, the Knights hit an NAIA standard mark in seven different events.

Pacing Marian on the track was Owen Myers, who clocked an NAIA A standard time in the race walk, becoming the program's first national qualifier in the event for outdoor track and field in the last decade. Myers school record was one of two on the weekend, as Blake Hipkiss hit an NAIA B standard and set the Marian record in the 5000m, clocking a 14:45.57 time as he won the event for his first victory of the outdoor season. 

In the throws, Marian continued their dominance from indoor season to outdoor, winning each of the three mainstream throws. Isaiah Tipping hit NAIA A standards in both the hammer and discus, as he won each event. Jacob Netral earned the win in the shot put and hit an NAIA A standard with his efforts, and Chrisitan Rios had one of the top overall outings, hitting an A standard in the hammer, while reaching B standard in both the shot put and discus. 

Other Knights had quality outings, with Olivier Lifrange earning a pair of scoring finishes in the 100 and 200 meter races, while Tristan Trevino placed second in the 800m. Marian also hit NAIA B standards on their 4x100m relay and the 4x800m relay, with the mid-distance relay group earning a victory. Marian's 4x400m relay team also earned a win. 

100m: Olivier Lifrange (5th), Connor Maple (7th), Manny Manneh (15th), Eli Givens (16th), Armani Glass (31st)
200m: Lifrange (6th), Givens (8th), Maple (10th), Richard Dube (14th), Eric Materna (21st), Manneh (25th)
400m: Dube (7th), Materna (8th)
800m: Tristan Trevino (2nd), Howard Hendricks (8th), Owen Pittman (10th), Benjamin Moster (18th), Blake Hipkiss (19th), Robin Aguilar-Gonzalez (42nd)
1500m: Pittman (7th), Moster (13th), Hendricks (15th)
5000m: Blake Hipkiss (1st, 14:45.57, School Record, NAIA B)
3000m Steeplechase: Aguilar-Gonzalez (2nd)
5000m Race Walk: Owen Myers (4th, 24:48.33, NAIA A, School Record)
110m Hurdles: Micah Williams (13th)
4x100m Relay: B standard - 2nd place
4x400m Relay: 1st Place / 5th Place
4x800m Relay: B standard - 1st place
Discus: Isaiah Tipping (1st, 52.58m, NAIA A), Christian Rios (4th,NAIA B), Jacob Netral (7th), Marco Keys (25th)
Shot Put: Jacob Netral (1st, 16.84m, NAIA A), Rios (3rd, NAIA B), Tipping (5th), Kevaughn Dawn (10th)
Hammer: Tipping (1st, 60.81m, NAIA A), Rios (2nd, NAIA A), Keys (5th)
Javelin: Felipe Mentz (8th)
Long Jump: Armani Glass (2nd)
Pole Vault: Brenden Endres (2nd), Evan Haag (3rd)

The Knights will host the Marian Open this week, hosting their first of two track meets this season. The action on Thursday, March 28, will begin around 10:00 a.m.

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