Defiance Men Participate in Toledo Invitational

TOLEDO, OHIO -- The Defiance College men's track and field team sent several athletes to the University of Toledo to compete in the Rocket Invitational on Thursday and Friday.

The highlight of the week for the Yellow Jackets came in Friday's 400 meter dash, when freshman Gabriel Caris (Lambertville, Mich./Bedford) ran a season-best time of 50.54 seconds, improving his mark as the fourth-best in school history.

Freshman Cody Drumm-Turner (Homer, Mich.) also competed in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, placing 10th (11.87) and fifth (24.27), respectively.

The lone jumper to compete was freshman Vince Jackson (Mason), who tied his outdoor best with a clearance of 1.93 meters (6 feet, 4 inches), good enough for fifth place at the meet.

Senior Joshua Petro (Ocala, Fla./The Villages) led the throwers on Thursday with a hammer throw of 51.91 meters (170 feet, 4 inches) in the hammer throw to place seventh, while junior Javier Castillo (Nogales, Ariz.) placed 12th with a throw of 46.12 meters (151 feet, 4 inches). Castillo also competed in the shot put, where he placed fourth with a toss of 13.64 meters (44 feet, 9 inches).

Freshman Matthew Downs (Rio Rico, Ariz.) rounded out the Yellow Jackets in the field, as his discus throw of 40.83 meters (133 feet, 11 inches) was good enough for the eighth spot.

Defiance will continue last chance meet action on Friday, May 11 as they travel to Baldwin Wallace to participate in the Harrison Dillard Twilight.