INDIANAPOLIS - The first 2018 Great Midwest Athlete Conference Men’s Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week were announced on Monday following two strong performances from the Hillsdale Chargers.
 
Sophomore Joseph Humes excelled in distance while senior David Chase impressed in jumps at the Wolverine Invitational.
 
The sport men’s indoor track and field has been strong this season with 10 provisional qualifying times/distances as well as one DII automatic qualifying mark in Austin Combs of Findlay.
 
All teams are getting ready for the Great Midwest Indoor Championships that will be held at Hillsdale in late February.
 
Track Athlete of the Week
Joseph Humes
Hillsdale
Sophomore
Maybee, MI (Milan HS)
 
Humes kicked off the new year with a strong performance in the mile run. In a meet with much of the competition coming at the Division I level at the Wolverine Invitational, the sophomore stepped up to the challenge.
 
A 4:13.86 time placed him 10th at the meet, but eight of the nine competitors finishing ahead of him came from Division I programs.
 
The time was also good enough for sixth on the conference’s all-time list, putting himself in elite company with Cedarville’s Daniel Michalski. It was also the top time in the mile this year in the league.
 
As a freshman, Humes finished second in the GLIAC in the mile run at the conference championship finishing only behind former teammate, then-senior Caleb Gatchell. Humes was also the 2016 GLIAC Freshman of the Year in the sport of cross country.
 
Field Athlete of the Week
David Chase
Hillsdale
Senior
Jefferson, OH (Jefferson Area HS)
 
Hillsdale was able to complete the sweep of the conference weekly awards with a strong performance in jumps from Chase.
 
Chase also competed at the Wolverine Invitational and finished in seventh place in the high jump at 1.98 meters.
 
He was the top non-DI finisher in the event and was also able to climb the Great Midwest record books with the current fourth-best mark of all time in the event.
 
The high jump has been an exciting event to monitor in 2017-18. Each of the current top four high jump marks have been broken this season from competition around the league.
 
Chase also finished 15th in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.11.