McMINNVILLE, Ore.—Junior Emil Miller won the 3,000M Steeplechase in a photo-finish and Lewis & Clark College men's track & field posted three top-10 marks in program history on Saturday at the Jenn Boyman Memorial Invite. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
 
The River Otters racked up 11 top-10 finishes led by Miller, senior Jon Fritz and junior Quinn Higgins. Saturday's meet was one of the largest meets of the season thus far - with 22 schools represented and nearly as many club teams. 
 
Miller continued his phenomenal start to the outdoor season, by finishing first out of 22 competitors in the Steeplechase. He ran in the lead pack for the entire race but did not lead until the final lap. After falling behind Oregon Tech's Braedan Doherty by 10 meters, Miller stormed back to beat Doherty by .08 seconds. The junior crossed the line in 9:22.60 to move into seventh in program history. His time was 13.11 seconds faster than the second Northwest Conference runner. Senior Joseph Naylor finished 17^th in the event with a time of 10:32.83. 
 
Senior Theron Plumb placed second out of seven runners in the 10,000M. He crossed the line in a PR time of 33:18.29 to move into 35^th in program history. Juniors Evan Markelz (33:18.78) and John Blockhus (35:19.36) finished third and sixth overall. 
 
Higgins was the top NCAA DIII finisher in the 1,500M. The junior posted a time of 3:55.00 to finish behind two runners from NAIA Corban University. His time moved him up to fifth in program history. Sophomore AJ Gibbs notched a PR time of 4:03.81 to place 11^th overall. First year Knox Orchard added a PR mark of 4:16.96 to come across in 30^th. 
 
Fritz registered the team's final top-three finish. The senior finished third overall in the triple jump with a PR leap of 13.99M (45-10.75 Feet). He finished first among NCAA DIII competitors behind jumpers from NCAA DII Western Oregon and NAIA Bushnell. Fritz now sits sixth in program history in the event. 
 
He also led the River Otters in the 110M Hurdles. Fritz placed 12^th overall with a time of 16.59. 
 
Lewis & Clark added three more top-10 finishes in field events and their one relay of the day. 
 
The 4x100M Relay team finished sixth out of 10 teams. The quartet of Fritz, sophomore Jaden Mwendapole, senior Jordan Lahusky and first year Enzo Murray posted a time of 42.87 to move into 24^th in program history.
 
First year Cody Strozyk placed eighth in the javelin. He launched the implement 52.27M (178-00 Feet). 
 
Senior Andrew Baum led Lewis & Clark in the shot put, hammer and discus. Baum registered a seventh-place finish in the shot put. He posted a throw of 14.10M (46-03.25 Feet). He finished 11^th in the hammer. The senior recorded a mark of 42.97M (140-11 Feet). In the discus, Baum notched a throw of 40.17M (131-09 Feet) to finish 12^th. Junior Liam Stanley came in 43^rd in the discus with a toss of 29.41M (96-06 Feet).
 
In the final field event of the day, sophomore Kris Adams and first year Zane Bryant represented Lewis & Clark. The pair finished 29^th and 30^th overall with Adams (6.18M/20-03.50 Feet) edging Bryant (6.06M/19-10.75 Feet). 
 
Lahusky led the team in the 400M. The senior crossed the line in 50.66 seconds to finish 15^th out of 68 competitors. First year Forrest Holt came across in 54.14 to place 45^th.
 
Mwendapole led a trio of Lewis & Clark runners in the 100M. The sophomore recorded the 27^th-fastest time in school history when he posted a PR time of 11.18. His time put him in 16^th out of 86 sprinters. Murray placed 58^th in the field with a time of 11.79. Senior Zaren Crockett finished 78^th overall with a time of 12.24. 
 
Despite running the 10K in the morning, Markelz added a PR time in the 800M to lead nine Lewis & Clark runners in the event. The junior placed 17^th out of 80 runners with a PR mark of 1:59.33. Fellow junior Colin Shimabukuro finished 20^th with a time of 2:00.37. Junior Jordan Wu (2:04.57), first year Dustin Widrig (2:04.59) and Miller (2:04.70 – PR) finished back-to-back in 42^nd, 43^rd and 44^th places. Gibbs added a season-best time of 2:06.08 to come in 47^th overall. Junior Teagon Aasen notched a PR time of 2:07.31 to place 51^st. Junior Gavin Sellers finished in 54^th with a time of 2:07.55. Naylor recorded a season-best time of 2:09.49 to finish 68^th. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Miller's time in the 3K Steeplechase moved him into 16^th in NCAA DIII.  
• Fritz sits 27^th in NCAA DIII in the triple jump after Saturday. 
• Higgins moved up to 38^th in NCAA DIII in the 1,500M this season. 
• Higgins ranks first in the Northwest Conference in the 1,500M after Saturday. Miller's time put him into second place in the NWC this season. 

WHAT'S NEXT 
 
Lewis & Clark will travel to Western Oregon on Friday and Saturday for the John Knight Twilight Meet.