DULUTH, Minn. – The Yellowjacket men's track and field team has been the class of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) of late. Going back to 2017, the Yellowjackets have won seven straight UMAC indoor championships, and their quest for their eighth in a row got underway Saturday.

The Yellowjackets were among seven teams across multiple divisions competing Saturday, and when the day was done the 'Jackets came back across the bridge with dozens of personal records, 20 top-ten finishes and a new school record.
 
Ethan Westimayer (Laona, Wis./Laona) placed second in the 200-meter dash, coming in with a time of 22.66 seconds. The mark set a new school record in the event, bettering his own mark of 22.95 seconds set last season. Westimayer is also ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III North Region after Saturday's competition.
 
In addition to his record-breaking performance in the 200, Westimayer also had a top-ten finish in the 60-meter dash, placing sixth with a time of 7.24 seconds.
 
Michael Butterfield (Bovey, Minn./Greenway), who earlier this fall was the individual champion at the 2023 UMAC Cross Country Championships, brought home first place in the 5,000 meters, finishing the race with a time of 15:45.52. David Collins (Ironwood, Mich./Luther L. Wright) also turned in a strong performance in the 5,000, placing 10th with a time of 18:03.02.

Staying in the running events, Hunter Willis (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) earned a personal record in the 60-meter hurdles, finished with a time of 8.46 seconds. In the 3,000 meters, Kieran Johnson (South Range, Wis./Northwestern) placed fourth with a time of 10:15.15.
 
A pair of runners picked up seventh-place finishes in separate events. Tyler Smith (Ironwood, Mich./Ironwood) posted a new personal record with a time of 5:14.78. In the 400-meter dash, Marshall Swanson (Ashland, Wis./Ashland) also earned a personal record after coming across the line with a time of 57.47 seconds.
 
In the field events the Yellowjackets had a big day.
 
Ben Babcock (Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area) brought home first place honors in the long jump, finishing with a mark of 6.64 meters, giving him a new personal record. Joining Babcock in the top ten were Jordan Goldfine (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) and Ethan Defoe, who placed fourth and ninth, respectively. Goldfine finished with a mark of 6.35 meters, while Defoe came in with a mark of 5.78 meters. Both marks were personal records.
 
Babcock also had a strong showing in the triple jump, finishing with a mark of 12.88 meters. The distance placed Babcock third and established a new personal record.
 
Another first-place finish came home with Garrett Lynch (Portage, Wis./Portage). The Yellowjacket standout won the title in the pole vault, clearing the bar at a height of 4.10 meters. Lynch also added a third-place finish in the high jump with a mark of 1.80 meters.
 
Also in the pole vault, Isaac Hanson (Hayward, Wis./Hayward) cleared a height of 3.20 meters, placing him fourth.
 
Senior thrower Nate Ohman (Lake Nebagamon, Wis./Northwestern) placed fifth in the shot put with a heave of 15.40 meters. The mark set a new personal record for Ohman and places him third in the NCAA Division III North Region and 15th in all of NCAA Division III. Ohman also had a top-ten in the weight throw, placing sixth with a mark of 14.92 meters.
 
Three more Yellowjackets also established personal records in the field events. Jason Thomas (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) placed third in the pole vault, clearing a height of 3.80 meters, which placed him third. Marshall Swanson (Ashland, Wis./Ashland) placed fifth in the high jump, getting over the bar at a height of 1.50 meters. And Bo Waletzko (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) placed 10th in the weight throw with a mark of 12.08 meters.
 
In total, the Yellowjackets had 33 personal records Saturday.
 
The Yellowjackets will now be off for over a month, returning to action Saturday, Jan. 20 when they host the Twin Ports Open. Events will begin at noon at the Lydia Thering Fieldhouse on the UW-Superior campus.