Senior Aaron Davidson stamped a historic weekend on the oval with two more event titles Saturday, headlining Cornell’s impressive medal haul at the Midwest Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships inside T. Fleming Fieldhouse.
Davidson raced to victory in the 3000-meter run (8:43.72) and anchored the first-place distance medley relay (10:38.82), one day after claiming gold in the 5000. Davidson became the first Ram to win three titles at an MWC indoor meet since 1988, and was deservedly voted the MWC Men’s Track Performer of the Year.
The Rams wound up winning six of the 18 contested events over the two-day Championships under first-year head coach Michael Friess. Cornell finished a strong third in the team standings and racked up 114 points, the most by a Ram team since the 1988 championship indoor season.
Cornell, which led the team race after Day 1, trailed only Ripon (172 points) and Monmouth (133.5) by the conclusion.
Davidson clocked a season-best mark in the 3000 and was part of a convincing 20-second victory in the distance medley, which included three freshmen in Gabe Soda, Fisher Isaacson and Tyler Bilskie.
Speaking of impact freshmen, Isaak Hutchings capped a terrific MWC debut with a championship in the 800 (1:57.88), to go with Friday’s title in the mile. Hutchings was not favored to win either event going in.
Senior Jacob Engelken was crowned champion in the 60 hurdles with a lifetime-best finals time of 8.83. He won by .29 seconds.
The Rams had four point scorers in the 3000. Following Davidson was Soda in fourth (9:00.11), Caleb Schopen sixth (9:03.33) and Emery Bird seventh (9:06.34).
Brad Pace placed fourth in the weight throw (50-4.75). Cade Cowan took seventh in the high jump (5-8.50). The 4×400 relay of Engelken, Thomas Machande, Nathan Watters and Hutchings was sixth (3:34.24).