Hawks Add Eight More National Qualifiers at Chicagoland Championships

Elmhurst, IL: The Harper College men's track and field team continued their strong outdoor campaign at the Chicagoland Championships, held over three days with Wheaton College hosting Thursday's throwing events and Elmhurst University hosting running and jumping events on Friday and Saturday. The Hawks added eight more national qualifiers to their growing list and saw several standout performances, led by Andrew Rashad's speed in the 100m and 200m.

Thursday – Throws at Wheaton
Vladyslav Nakhim and Rodolfo Martinez represented Harper in the shot put, discus, and javelin. Both throwers continue to make consistent progress in all events, with Nakhim especially standing out in the javelin, showing natural form and continued improvement.

Friday – Prelims, Distance, and Jumps
Friday's competition featured prelims for the 100m and 110m hurdles, the 5k, and field events including long jump and pole vault. Ten Hawks raced in the 100m, with Rashad leading the group and earning a national qualifying mark in 11.24. He was followed by national qualifiers Anthony LoBue (11.31), Lucas McMillan (11.35), Fortis Variano (11.44), and Jaylen Calhoun (11.51). Gianluca Manuel, Justin Brown, Nicholas Navarrete, Tyler Anderson, and Devin Patel also competed in a deep Harper field.

In the hurdles, Tyler Thymian ran a strong 17.21 in the 110m, just shy of his personal best. On the distance side, Ryan Golden ran a personal best of 16:02.44 in the 5k to meet the national qualifying standard, while RJ Moniri also had a personal best, finishing in 17:42.52. In the field, Stephen Osei cleared a season-best 14' 3.25" in the pole vault. Four Hawks competed in the long jump, though none were able to notch season bests.

Saturday – Finals, Relays and More Jumps at Elmhurst
Saturday's action was packed, featuring jumps, sprints, mid-distance races, and relays. Rashad once again led the way in the 200m, clocking a national qualifying time of 22.13. Prince Ellington also earned a spot at nationals with a 23.34 finish, while Manuel and Anderson rounded out the Harper entries in the event.

The 400m saw strong performances across the board, led by Fortis Variano's season-best 51.49. McMillan qualified for nationals with a 51.74, and Navarette ran a personal best of 52.82. Joel Jones and Brown also competed in the event.

In the 800m, Dakota White paced the Hawks with a 2:00.81, followed by a personal best from Nate Larsen at 2:07.26. Owen Whelan, Connor Ariunbat, and Edwin Amaro rounded out the Harper runners. In the 1500m, Golden met the national standard once again, running alongside teammates Whelan, Ariunbat, and Jose Morales.

Both relay teams ran strong, with the 400m and 1600m relays continuing to be competitive units for Harper.

With another successful meet in the books and momentum building, the Hawks will return to action at the Tiger Open hosted by Olivet Nazarene.

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Players Mentioned

Edwin Amaro: Mid-Dist.; Sophomore

Tyler Anderson: Sprints; Sophomore

Gianluca Manuel: Sophomore; 100m, 200m

Lucas McMillan: Sophomore; Pole Vault, 100m, 200m, 400m

Devin Patel: Sophomore; 100m, 200m

Fortis Variano: Sophomore; 200m, 400m, Relays

Owen Whelan: Sophomore; 1500m, 5k

Dakota White: Sophomore; 800m, 1500m

Connor Ariunbat: Mid Dist.; Freshman

RJ Moniri: Freshman; 1500m, 5k

Ryan Golden: Mid Dist.; Freshman

Justin Brown: Sprints; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Edwin Amaro
: Sophomore
: Mid-Dist.

Tyler Anderson
: Sophomore
: Sprints

Gianluca Manuel
: Sophomore; 100m, 200m

Lucas McMillan
: Sophomore; Pole Vault, 100m, 200m, 400m

Devin Patel
: Sophomore; 100m, 200m

Fortis Variano
: Sophomore; 200m, 400m, Relays

Owen Whelan
: Sophomore; 1500m, 5k

Dakota White
: Sophomore; 800m, 1500m

Connor Ariunbat
: Freshman
: Mid Dist.

RJ Moniri
: Freshman; 1500m, 5k

Ryan Golden
: Freshman
: Mid Dist.

Justin Brown
: Freshman
: Sprints