Cedarville secures four golds at the Cherry Blossom Invitational

By Matt Schaeckenbach

Despite a damp, rainy forecast, the Yellow Jackets headed to Athens, Ohio, to compete at the University of Ohio’s Cherry Blossom Invitational. With intermittent rain and constant overcast in the morning hours, it was anyone’s guess how the competition would fare. 

However, the rain eventually let up, the clouds rolled back and the sun beat down on the warm red track, giving Cedarville and its competitors a perfect day to compete. Even though the weather cooperated, the task would be far from easy for the Yellow Jackets. 

Though the meet was small compared to their previous competition at the home opener, it hosted several Division I schools, including Xavier and Ohio State. The competition would prove to be fierce, as the Yellow Jackets fought for every mark and positions in their events. 

One such Yellow Jacket who shone on the day was sophomore star Andrew Suter in the pole vault. Suter came into the competition with the top mark–a designation that can be both a blessing and a curse. While you know you’ve jumped better than everyone else, you also know that there’s a target on your back, with every competitor gunning for your place on top. 

Another factor on the day was the weather. Although conditions had improved since the morning hours, vaulting outdoors is only a change from the indoor circuit. 

“This is the first time we’ve vaulted outside since basically May,” Suter said. “There are a lot of variables outside, and with a sport that’s already so technical, it can be harder with more things to think about.”

Despite the weather, Suter remained composed, passing heights up to 4.55 meters. He cleared the bar on his first attempt and, with that jump, secured himself the victory over Wheeling’s Alexander Rodriguez. 

However, Suter was far from done in this competition. He set the bar to a new PR height of 4.87 meters, which would equal the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying mark for the national meet this May. 

“I knew I was capable,” Suter said. “I knew it would be a good outcome whether I got it or not, but I really wanted it.”

With a strong run-up and a solid vault, Suter squeezed over the height, landing on the mat and staring up at the bar still standing nearly 16 feet above the ground. 

“Super grateful overall,” Suter said. “It was a great competition.” 

With a provisional mark under his belt, Suter laid out his goals for the rest of the season, with his eyes set on bars in the upper 16s and even as high as the 17 foot barrier. 

Following Suter’s performance in the pole vault, another field event athlete stepped up to the plate for the Yellow Jackets. Senior Jarrett Johnson, a captain on the team and throws specialist, had a big day for Cedarville in the discus and hammer throw events. 

Starting with the discus, Johnson started slow, but heated up as the competition went on. He ripped off four throws over 44 meters in the competition, with his best mark coming in at a new PR of 47.02 meters. 

Johnson, throwing from the second flight, thought he had the event title secured. However, John Bowman, an unattached athlete who’d formerly competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials, had thrown from the first heat, surpassing Johnson’s mark and taking the title home. 

However, Johnson’s mark was enough to earn silver in the discus, throwing over three meters further than the next best collegiate athlete. 

A short time later, Johnson started the hammer throw, his sights set on the gold. 

“I was excited,” Johnson said. “I didn’t have a great week of training, so I was just trying to do the best I could.” 

Out of the gate, Johnson took the lead in the competition, throwing 46.49 meters in his first frame, and then 48.74 in his next. The competition looked all but over heading into finals, as he held the lead through the first two frames in the finals. 

However, Quinton Payton from West Virginia Wesleyan ripped a massive throw in his final attempt of the competition, launching the implement 48.97 meters to narrowly take the lead from Johnson by less than a foot. 

With his back against the wall and only one throw left in the competition, Johnson needed a big mark to take back the lead.

“The competitor in me took over,” Johnson said. “I wanted to get the win.” 

Stepping into the ring, Johnson carefully set up his throw, building speed with every turn before letting loose a roar as he released the implement. Flying through the air, the hammer soared to a new lead of 50.58 meters, surpassing Payton’s mark by over five feet in the final throw of the competition.

“Super grateful that I was able to throw this well,” Johnson said. 

But he’s far from finished in his final season as a Yellow Jacket. He wants to go out with a bang, as he indicated his goal of hitting the Division II provisional qualifying mark in the hammer throw–57 meters–and topping the 50 meter mark in the discus.

Moving away from the field, the Yellow Jackets also saw a strong performance on the track in the 200 meter dash from sprint sensation David Gerdin.

Gerdin has already made a strong impact in his first two years at Cedarville, with his most notable achievement coming just a few weeks ago at the Indoor National Championships as a member of the Yellow Jackets’ 4×400 meter relay team. 

Showcasing his diverse talent, Gerdin stepped up to the line in the 200 against a deep field, including his teammates Jeremy Johnson and Finley Huber. 

From the gun, Gerdin lagged behind his competitors, struggling to get his feet under him in the start. However, with masterful top-end speed, he closed the gap, separating himself from the field in the final meters and crossing the finish line in a time of 21.78, nearly two tenths of a second faster than the second place runner. 

The time is the third fastest mark in Cedarville track and field history and just .04 seconds off the school record mark set in 2012 by Mark Farris.

“It was a good race,” Gerdin said. “My top speed felt good; there are some things I can work on, but overall I was pretty happy with it.”

Gerdin looks to push his time even lower as the season progresses, eying the school record as well, going under the 21.5 second barrier, which would be a “dream goal,” as he put it.

The Jackets will be back on the track next week, competing in a three-pronged weekend with groups of athletes going to the Tennessee Invite, the Lee Invitational and the Asbury Invitational to compete against some of the best schools in the south as they prepare for the conference meet at the end of the month.

Matt Schaeckenbach is a Junior Liberal Arts major from Iowa City, Iowa. He loves spending time with his family, running, playing board games, and encouraging others in Christ.