Adrian, Michigan - The men's track & field team opened competition at the WHAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships at O'Laughlin Stadium this afternoon. The meet, contested on the campus of Siena Heights, brought together the ten WHAC track and field programs. The Saints battled the competition and the weather as the Saints established a new school record and tallied 17 points on the day.  Aquinas sits in fifth place after the first day of competition.

Jake Van Tassell continued his sensational season by breaking his own school record in the 110 meter hurdles.  His performance qualifies him for tomorrow's final and earned him a "B" qualifier for the National Championships. The men's 4x800 meter relay also had a strong performance on day one for the Saints. The quartet of Liam Kelly, Nolan Moffit, Zander Masten, and Jaben Bakker placed fourth overall in 7:45.80. The Saints also placed fourth through sixth in the 10,000 meters. Carson Lafferty (33:15.66), Juan David Hernandez (33:29.99), and Austin Williford (34:07.43) collected twelve points for Aquinas. 

Aquinas will return to action on Friday at Noon with the second and final day of the outdoor championships.