Terre Haute, IN ---  Eli Cook was the event champion at 5000m at Friday evenings Rose-Hulman Institute Twilight Meet winning the event with a time of 15:32.11, a career best by 17 seconds. He captured the win in the field of nine runners that included runner-up team mate Garrad Straube who covered the distance in a personal best by over 20 seconds 15:39.93.  Two other Prairie Stars ran career bests in the event as well.  Alex Phelps finished eighth in a time of 16:51.24 and Alex Ginglen was ninth with a time of 17:51.33.
 
The Prairie Stars had several other strong performance, including a "perfect night" on the track, with all 14 team members that competed on the track earning career or season best times.  The best finish of the group included Preston Henze in the 1500m run with an eighth place finish in a time of 4:11.98, there were 26 runners in the event.   Brendan Kroeger won his section of the 800m and placed 12th of 39 runners overall.  His time was 2:00.94.  Also running career bests in the 800 were Ruell Chappell (2:03.39, 19th place) and Jake Shawgo (2:11.56).
 
Blake Carlino improved on his School Record in the 400m dash with a time of :52.08 which was 11th place of 26 runners in the event.  Jose Corona also improved on his best ever with a :55.37.
 
Nick Reynolds (9:23.71) and Tyler Hiserote (9:28.66) placed 1-2 in the unseeded section of the 3000m run which placed them 13th and 14th overall in the field of 28 runners.
 
The 4 x 400m relay team of Carlino, Shawgo, Kroeger, and Reynolds ran 3:35.44, just .19 off of the school record.
 
In the field events, Kaj Days finished in a tie for first in the high jump and earned second place on total jumps.  He cleared 1.95m (6' 4.75").  George Wayda had two scoring performances with a third place finish in the shot put (13.12m, 44' 6") which established the school record in the event as well as finishing sixth in the discus with a throw of 39.72m (130' 4").  Jake Seidel finished eighth in the javelin with a throw of 40.42m (132' 7")
 
The Prairie Stars finished sixth in the meet that included 12 schools.  They totaled 42 points.  Host Rose-Hulman won the meet with 199 points and Greenville was runner up with 196.5 points.
 
This coming weekend the team will finish up the regular season at the Illinois College Invitational on Saturday in Jacksonville.  The meet will be a tune-up for those that are set for the GLVC Championships, a chance for a few of the team to earn a spot in the GLVC Meet with an improved performance, as well as a final meet of the season for the remainder of the squad.
 
Coach Mike De Witt had these comments:  "The men's team did an exceptional job of competing with a good intensity.  It is important to note that we are still a very young team and the confidence factor is key to finishing the championship season racing well and earning great times.  The improvement were a little 'chipping away' at their previous best as a whole.  The weather wasn't perfect, but with the next level of confidence and racing intensity, the school records will be improved across every event we contest."