ALLENDALE, Mich. – Competing at one of the largest indoor meets in the nation, the Allegheny track and field team was well-represented.
 
At The Big Meet, hosted by Grand Valley State, all five Gator competitors turned in personal records, while also ascending toward the top of the 2018 North Coast Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III performance lists.
 
Competing in the 3,000 meter run, Emily Forner continued her stellar junior season for the blue and gold.  The veteran turned in a time of 9:48.06 to take eighth overall in a 43-runner field, and first among non-Division I athletes.  Her time broke a 30-year old school record, previously held by Allegheny Hall of Famer Christine Dudeck, while it now ranks as the fourth best 3,000 meter time by an NCAA Division III runner this season.  She eclipsed her previous personal record in the event, set on Jan. 18 at Youngstown State, by 31 seconds.
 
In the 5,000 meter run, fellow junior Sarah Hevener shaved seven seconds off of her previous career best with a time of 17:37.31, placing second among Division III runners.  It stands as the second-fastest time this season in the NCAC and 25th best in NCAA Division III, while it ranks sixth all-time in Allegheny program history.
 
Three Gator men took over the top spot in the NCAC in their respective events, while a pair entered the top five in the Allegheny record books.
 
In the 3,000, senior John Hughes placed second among Division III runners with a time of 8:31.15.  It bested his previous career mark by over eight seconds, while it ranks as the top mark in the NCAC this season, and third all-time in Allegheny history.
 
Fellow senior Carter Smith ran the mile at Grand Valley, and finished in a time of 4:17.65 to shave four seconds off of his previous personal record.  It was the fifth fastest mile in Gator program history, while it is also the best mark in the event by an NCAC male this season.
 
In the 5,000, junior Matt Svetz posted the Gators' biggest personal record of the day, as he shaved 46 seconds off of his previous career best by finishing in 14:55.19.  He placed 29th overall in a field of 190 runners, and second among Division III competitors, while he now ranks first in the NCAC in the event, and 26th nationally.
 
The Big Meet boasts a field of over 1,300 athletes from all three NCAA classifications and the NAIA.  This year's field included over 20 NCAA All-Americans and six NCAA Division II champions, as well as a 2017 World Outdoor Championships participant.