DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Lynn University men's track and field team delivered a strong showing at the Sunshine State Conference Championships finishing fourth overall with 51 points, highlighted by multiple podium finishes and NCAA-caliber performances across the sprint events. The Fighting Knights were led by standout efforts in the 200m, 400m, and 4x400 relay, where Lynn combined for 35 points, showcasing both depth and top-end speed against one of the conference's most competitive fields
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
100m
- Drew Campbell led the way for the Fighting Knights, advancing through prelims with a 10.75 before placing fifth overall in the final with a time of 10.55, earning key team points
- Julian Donaldson posted a solid 10.95 in the prelims, finishing just outside of qualifying for the final in a competitive field
- Jordan Klim and Andre Nembhard each clocked 11.25 in separate heats, with Klim edging slightly ahead on time (11.241) as both contributed depth to the Lynn sprint group
 
200m
- The Fighting Knights delivered a strong showing in the 200m, placing two athletes on the podium as Kiernan Ganske finished second (21.15) and Evan Joseph took fourth (21.45), combining for 13 team points
- Ganske advanced through prelims with a 21.26 before improving in the final, narrowly missing the NCAA provisional qualifying standard of 21.11
- Joseph was sharp from the start, winning his preliminary heat in 21.14, just off his season-best of 21.24, before returning to score in the final
- Campbell added depth for Lynn, qualifying for the final with a 21.61 in prelims, though an issue in the final led to an 8th-place finish
 
400m
- The Fighting Knights delivered a standout performance, placing two athletes on the podium as Joseph finished second (47.03) and Ganske took third (47.21), combining for 14 team points
- Joseph set the tone early, blazing a season best 46.84 in the prelims to qualify first overall and surpass the NCAA provisional standard of 47.55
- Ganske followed with a strong 47.28 in prelims, also dipping under the NCAA mark to secure his spot in the final
- In the championship race, both Joseph and Ganske once again ran under the NCAA provisional standard, solidifying their postseason positioning with elite-level performances
 
800m
- Matthew Gusmano led the way for the Fighting Knights, clocking a 2:00.27 in the prelims to finish seventh in his heat against a deep middle-distance field
- Roman Ruggiero followed with a 2:05.58, while Ari Powers added a 2:05.84 as Lynn placed multiple runners across all three preliminary heats
 
1500m
- Ruggiero led the way for the Fighting Knights, posting a 4:28.85 to finish 12th in section one and pace the Lynn distance group
- Gusmano followed with a time of 4:41.15, while Ari Powers (4:42.47) and Anthony Fontanez (4:47.68) rounded out the Lynn competitors in a deep conference field
 
5000m
- Renzo Almeida paced the Fighting Knights, crossing in 16:21.83 to finish 17th in a deep and competitive distance field
- Almeida's performance came in just off his season-best of 15:58.42, as he remained steady throughout the race against a fast early pace
- Anthony Fontanez also represented Lynn, posting a 19:14.90 while gaining valuable championship experience in his first SSC meet
 
10000m
- Almeida led the way for the Fighting Knights, finishing 15th overall with a time of 33:54.78 in the lone championship section
- Almeida's effort came off his season-best of 32:34.77, as he battled through a grueling pace and long-distance field to complete the race
 
110m Hurdles
- Jayden Geathers delivered a strong showing for the Fighting Knights, advancing through prelims with a 15.02 before placing third overall in the final with a time of 14.82 to earn six team points and a new personal best
- Geathers held his own in a fast final, finishing just behind Saint Leo's Joshua Warren (14.47) and ahead of a tightly packed middle of the field
- In the prelims, Geathers secured an automatic qualifying spot for the final with a second-place finish in his heat, positioning himself among the top contenders
 
400m Hurdles
- Geathers led the way for the Fighting Knights, advancing through prelims with a 54.98 before placing sixth overall in the final with a time of 55.40, earning three team points
- Geathers' prelim time secured one of the top qualifying spots, positioning him well for the championship heat in a competitive field
- In the final, Geathers remained in contention throughout, finishing just fractions behind the middle of the pack in a tightly grouped race
 
4x100m Relay
- The Lynn A relay team (Joseph, Ater, Dewar, Campbell) turned in a time of 42.43 to place seventh overall in a tightly contested SSC final
- The Fighting Knights secured two team points, finishing just behind Florida Tech (42.39) and within striking distance of a mid-pack finish
 
4x400m Relay
- The Lynn A relay team of Dewar, Ater, Ganske, and Joseph delivered a standout performance, finishing second overall with a time of 3:13.57 to earn eight team points
- The Fighting Knights competed in the championship heat and remained in contention throughout, holding strong positioning through the first three legs before a strong anchor from Joseph secured the runner-up finish
- Lynn's time comes just off its season-best of 3:13.99, marking another high-level performance for one of the program's top relay units
 
PODIUM FINISHES AND QUALIFIERS:
NCAA Qualifiers
- Evan Joseph – 400m
            - 46.84 (prelims), 47.03 (final) ? NCAA provisional qualifier
- Kiernan Ganske – 400m
- 47.28 (prelims), 47.21 (final) ? NCAA provisional qualifier
 
Podium Finishes
- 400m: 2nd – Evan Joseph (47.03), 3rd – Kiernan Ganske (47.21)
- 200m: 2nd – Kiernan Ganske (21.15)
- 110m Hurdles: 3rd – Jayden Geathers (14.82)
- 4x400 Relay: 2nd – Lynn A (Dewar, Ater, Ganske, Joseph) – 3:13.57
 
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights will head up to Jacksonville, Fla. next weekend on May 1-2 for the East Coast Relays, hosted by the University of North Florida as the final push to the NCAA Championship continues.