Feb. 6 was a big day for the Bradley freshmen at the Iowa State Classic – especially during the 800-meter race.
Of the five freshmen who received personal bests on the day, four earned theirs in the half-mile competition: Bente van Milligen, Hanri Pretorius, Christian Harris and Michael Schmalz.
Van Milligen clocked in at 2:11.40 with Pretorius right behind her at 2:11.95. Harris (1:53.07) and Schmalz (1:53.24) finished even closer, with only .17 seconds of separation between them.
The fifth and final freshman to set a personal record was Ayva Rush, who posted a sub-60 in the 400m.
However, the freshmen were not the only class to find success this past Friday.
The Braves also saw three sophomores take strides in their development as young stars. Firstly, Julia de Palma ran the sixth fastest 200m in Bradley’s history. Registering a 25.34, de Palma snatched the sixth-place rank from teammate Olivia Redpath, who had just set it at the Meyo Invitational.
Speaking of Redpath, she maintained momentum from her spectacular performance at the aforementioned Meyo Invitational. Posting a 7.79 in the finals of the 60m, she just missed her week-old program record mark of 7.78.
Lastly, Issac Lind notched a 4:17.33 mile time, which is not only a personal best; it also puts him within 11 seconds of his older brother Caleb’s best time of 4:06.82 earlier this season at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational.
The Iowa State Classic was another example of the Braves showcasing the firepower of their underclassmen. With only two more opportunities before the MVC Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, the Braves seem to be peaking at the most opportune time.
Looking ahead to this Friday, Bradley will hold another split meet, sending competitors to the Blue Demon Alumni Classic in Chicago and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston.
