AZUSA, Calif. – Six members of the St. Olaf College men's track and field team ventured to California to compete in the Bryan Clay Invitational on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Cougar Athletic Stadium.

Senior Will Kelly, senior Anders Cote, senior Demetri Lord, sophomore Cullen Moore, junior Dylan Arnold, and sophomore Kevin Turlington represented the Oles at the large meet that included competitors from all three NCAA Divisions. No team scores were recorded at the meet.

On Thursday evening, Kelly ran what is believed to be the fourth-fastest time in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) history in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, clocking in in 8:55.17 to place 15th. The time was the fastest for an NCAA Division III runner in the event, ranks fourth in NCAA Division III this season, and was less than two seconds off Kelly's school-record time of 8:53.30 from a year ago.

Cote joined Kelly in the field in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and finished 68th in 9:38.17. Also on Thursday, Lord competed in the first five events of the decathlon, racking up 3,435 points to sit 12th in his group before having to pull out of the competition due to injury. Lord's day was highlighted by a third-place finish in the 100-meter dash (11.12) and a PR in the 400-meter dash (51.07).

On Friday, Moore fell just four-tenths of a second shy of his PR in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:56.18, which was good for 167th place in the field of 235 runners. Turlington and Arnold were in action on Saturday, with Turlington placing 74th in the 1,500-meter run (3:59.67) and Arnold taking seventh in Group C of the pole vault (4.30m, 14' 1 ¼").

Next weekend, St. Olaf will send a group of runners to compete in the 10,000-meter run at the Phil Esten Challenge at UW-La Crosse on Friday, April 19 before heading across town for the Carleton Relays on Saturday, April 20.