Elusme, five event titles highlight Triangular

WAVERLY – Wartburg College, sitting No. 17 on the first United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's Division III ranking, ended second in its Lutheran Triangular meet Friday and Saturday, Jan. 28 and 29. Coach Marcus Newsom's Knights scored 173 points.

Freshman jumper Jonas Elusme of Boynton Beach, Fla., who had thrilled a large crowd at the Knights' home Relays event just two weeks prior, continued to do so at the triangular.

He bettered his six-foot, eight and three-quarters inch leap of the Relays by going an NCAA Division III automatic national qualifying and Hoover Fieldhouse record height of six feet, 10 and three-quarters inches. Elusme tried for what would have been a new school record of seven feet but narrowly missed on his final attempts. The Knights' freshman had, earlier in the meet, won a title in the long jump, going 22 feet and a quarter inch.

Wartburg's field event success didn't stop there. Sophomore Coltin Hahle of Mason City led a one-two finish in the weight throw with a toss of 47 feet, six and a half inches. Junior Cody Iverson of New Hampton was second (46 feet, 10 inches).

On the track, the Orange and Black turned in three first-place finishes. Junior Mike Koehler of Washington set a new fieldhouse record in the 600, clocking a 1:23.81. The 4x400 meter relay team of Koehler, freshman Dominique Fagan of Cedar Falls, senior Palngji Sunday of Iowa City and sophomore Larry Johnson of Cedar Rapids also took first in 3:23.89.

Newsom's squad continues its home schedule by competing in the Wartburg Select Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4 and 5.