VERMILLION, S.D. (Apr. 6, 2024) - Ashton Bates gave the Buena Vista men's track & field team a top-10 individual finish as the team began its full outdoor schedule by taking part in the annual USD Early Bird Meet on Friday and Saturday.

Bates finished seventh in a 115-member 200-meter dash with a time of 22.37 seconds. There were also 115 runners in the 100-meter dash with Bates running a 10.99 second time and placing 34th.

Kyle Miller came in 13th in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:56.18. Kaden Sadler also turned in a strong 13th-place finish in the 5k with a time of 15:59.60.

Abraham Christiansen led the Beavers in both the hammer throw and discus. He came in 20th in the discus with a toss of 39.22m (128' 8") and 21st in the hammer throw at 45.08m (147' 10").

Easton Hays came in 17th in the long jump at 21' 4.25".

Nearly 30 different schools had athletes competing in the meet along with several more unattached and club teams. The field was made up of schools from all levels - JUCO, NAIA, DI, DII and DIII.

Next up for the Beavers will be the South Dakota Challenge on Saturday, Apr. 13.