Gruver says Eagles worked hard to make most of 2024 season (2024)

Con Marshall

Three head coaches in three years is generally not a recipe for success in any sport, and that’s particularly true in track and field with its many events that take a variety of skills and generally lots of encouragement and instruction from coaches to find success.

After a lengthy search for a new coach, the college tabbed one of its own who had remained living in Chadron the last decade since concluding his career as a top-notch Eagles’ sprinter and graduating from the college. Instead of coaching, Jake Gruver had been a railroad engineer. He felt fortunate to have such a well-paid job, but coaching track and field remained his passion.

“This opportunity has been a dream come true, and I’m excited to continue building this program,” Gruver said early this summer. “Overall, I thought this was an amazing inaugural year. We hit the ground running last fall. I spent a majority of the year just trying to keep my head above water, but the athletes and the (college) administration were exceptionally awesome and patient with me.

“The athletes immediately bought into our system, and I think it showed. We worked together, worked hard and made lots of progress. Before the season ended, I’m sure we had at least 75 personal- best marks, maybe more,” the coach continued. “This team had a much stronger foundation to build upon than I could have ever dreamt, and I’m so excited to see what kind of a program we can evolve into during the next four or five years.”

The coach noted that since taking the job he’s been trying to make up for lost time in recruiting. He noted that by the time he was hired, many of the top high school track and field senior had already made their college plans.

Gruver inherited some capable sprinters and was able to put together a men’s 4x100 relay team that overcame several setbacks and provided the season’s highlight. During a “last chance” meet, the Eagles ran the event in 39.88 seconds, a school record, and allowing them to qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships with the sixth fastest time. The Eagles didn’t place during the finals, even though their time at nationals was CSC’s fourth fastest, all-time.

The Eagles capped their indoor season with some respectable results at the RMAC Meet at Spearfish S.D. The CSC men finished fifth among the 13 teams by scoring 47.5 points. While they didn’t win any events, Creighton Trembly in the hurdles (8.13 seconds), Christopher Jennings in the 35-pound weight throw (61-2 ½) and Chayton Bynes in the triple jump (49-6 ¼) earned silver medals.

Bynes mark is CSC’s second-best all-time indoors and Jennings’ heave ranks fourth in Eagles’ annals. Trembly’s 8.04 time in the preliminaries is his career-best and is tied for fifth all-time at CSC.

For the season, Jennings won the weight throw at four of the seven meets the Eagles attended and he was runner-up at two of the others.

Also at the conference meet, Ryan Clapper placed third in the 200 meters and Logan Peila, Trembly, Jacob Jefferson and Greg Logsdon formed the third place 4x400 relay team. Madi Schleip led the women’s team by placing third in the weight throw with her career-best mark of 55-7.

The Eagles weren’t as strong outdoors after Trembly, thrower Parker Gonser and distance runner Cale Schafer decided to redshirt and use both of their final seasons of eligibility in 2025.

Chadron State opened the outdoor season at two meets that were dominated by Division I teams. Therefore, the Eagles didn’t claim many top six or eight placings.

But a major highlight occurred at the opening meet when the aforementioned 4x100 relay team placed third and ran the event in 40.73 seconds, CSC’s second-best all-time.

The Eagles also had some bright spots in early April at the University of South Dakota Early Bird Meet, where nearly 1,300 athletes from more than 25 schools were entered. There were more than 100 entries in a few of the events and at least 70 in several others.

Bynes and Topi Alahuhta, both redshirt freshmen, were gold medalists at that meet. Bynes won the triple jump by going 14.84 meters, or 48 feet, 4 ½ inches, outjumping his nearest rival by a foot and a half, while Alahuhta ran the 10,000 meters in 31:04.42, more than 40 seconds ahead of the runner-up and also a Chadron State record.

Another young CSC distance runner, Josi Diffendafer, placed sixth among nearly 50 entries in the 5000 meters. Her time was 18:19.37. Only three CSC women have run the 5000 faster.

Many of the CSC team members reached their peak while concluding the regular season at the Blue Hawk Games hosted by Dickinson State of North Dakota. The competition from top to bottom wasn’t as stringent as it had been earlier in the season, so they placed higher, but their marks also were frequently season- or career-bests. It was true for most of the sprinters, jumpers and throwers on both the men’s and the women’s rosters.

The Eagles didn’t fare as well as was hoped at the RMAC Outdoor Meet, and were especially disappointed when an injury prevented the men’s 4x100 relay team to make even the first handoff. However, Coach Gruver didn’t give up and the entire program had a major “pick-me-up” when the revitalized quartet was able to qualify for nationals with terrific times at “last chance” meets.

Following is a listing of marks posted by the 2024 Eagles that now rank among the top 20 on Chadron State’s all-time charts:

Men’s Indoor Events

60—10, Morgan Fawver, 6.82.

200—5, Quincy Efeturi, 21.91; 6, Ryan Clapper, 21.96.

400—15, Greg Logsdon, 49.81.

Mile—5, Charles Fossey, 4:20.49; 15, Cale Schafer, 4:26.74.

3000—8, Charles Fossey, 8:47.65.

5000—8, Cale Schafer, 15:13.25.

60 hurdles—6, Creighton Trembly, 8.04.

35-pound weight throw—4, Christopher Jennings, 61-2 ¼.

Long jump—8, Morgan Fawver, 24-4 ¼; 14, Chayton Bynes, 23-8 ¾.

Triple jump—2, Chayton Bynes, 49-6 ¼.

High jump—10, Alec Penfield, 6-8 ¾.

Heptathlon—14, Kaden Dower, 4,456 points

Men’s Outdoor Events

200—3, Ryan Clapper, 21.05; 5, Quincy Efeturi, 21.13.

5000—4, Topi Alahuhta, 15:01.39.

10,000—1, Topi Alahuhta, 31:04.32.

Javelin—20, William Stemler, 179-2.

Long jump—11, Chayton Bynes, 23-11¼.

Triple jump—8, Chayton Bynes, 48-9 ½.

High jump—7, Alec Penfield, 6-8 ¾.

Women’s Indoor Events

60—12, Caydince Groth, 7.91.

200—9, Caydince Groth, 25.94.

Mile—10, Alissa Wieman, 5:16.60.

3000—4, Alissa Wieman, 10:23.94.

Women’s Outdoor Events

100—10, Shantae Morgan, 12.22; 11, Caydince Groth, 12.26.

200—14, Shantae Morgan, 25.43.

1500—10, Alissa Wieman, 4:51.88

5000—6, Josie Diffendaffer, 18:19.37; 17, Alissa Wieman, 18:51.52.

400 hurdles—10, Caydince Groth, 1:05.69.

20-pound weight throw—15, MadI Schliep, 55-7.

Triple jump—16, Megan Baloun, 36-9.