Men's Track and Field Saturday, May 2, 2026 NWC Athletic Communications

Raiders Claim Third Place at GPAC Championships

FREMONT, Neb. – Northwestern compiled a third-place finish at the GPAC Championships with 109 points.

Across the Raider men's and women's teams, 70 performances matched or exceeded their rankings and 29 athletes reached personal bests.

Senior Braden Kalvelage showcased impressive performances, claiming first place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.39, setting a program record with a 7.69m long jump to win a title, and securing second place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.64. Kalvelage was also the third member of the 4x100 meter relay team, which included Carter Van Donge, Collin Bliven, and Michael Rodriguez, who ran to victory with a time of 41.12. Rodriguez and Van Donge contributed further in the 100-meter dash, finishing third and fourth, respectively.

In the middle-distance events, sophomore Carson Van Sickle earned a second-place finish in the 800-meter run, clocking a time of 1:54.00. Freshman Caleb Tofteland made significant contributions with a sixth-place finish in the 1500-meter run and a third-place finish in the 5000-meter run, earning points in both. Freshman Kalarga Mukhtar and Josiah McFarland added to the team's overall score in the hurdles, securing fourth and seventh place in the 110-meter hurdles finals. Additionally, Mukhtar achieved fourth place in the 400-meter hurdles, contributing five points to the team's total.

Sprints
Braden Kalvelage secured second place in the 100 Meter Dash with a time of 10.64 and won the 200 Meter Dash, clocking in at 21.39. In the 100 Meter Dash, Michael Rodriguez finished third with 10.77, while Carter Van Donge was fourth at 10.80.

Middle Distance
Carson Van Sickle placed second in the 800 Meter Run with a time of 1:54.00. The 4x800 Meter Relay team finished fifth with a time of 7:46.61.

Distance
Caleb Tofteland earned third place in the 5000 Meter Run with a time of 15:18.02. Alik McIlravy added an All-GPAC performance in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase, finishing in 9:46.60.

Hurdles
Kalarga Mukhtar finished fourth in the 400 Meter Hurdles with a time of 55.83, and Josiah McFarland took seventh in the 110 Meter Hurdles Finals, clocking in at 15.24.

Jumps
Braden Kalvelage won the Long Jump with a finals distance of 7.69m. Michael Rodriguez secured fourth place in the same event with a jump of 6.75m. Jordan Carter secured an all-conference finish with a 13.12m leap for seventh.

Throws
Daniel Greenlee achieved sixth place in the Shot Put with a throw of 14.72m. Joshua Lewis placed ninth in the Javelin Throw, reaching a distance of 48.57m.

ALL-CONFERENCE MARKS
Braden Kalvelage – 1^st; 200m (21.39)
Braden Kalvelage – 1^st; Long Jump (7.69m)
Van Donge, Bliven, Kalvelage, Rodriguez – 1^st; 4x400m (41.12)
Carson Van Sickle – 2^nd; 800m (1:54.00)
Braden Kalvelage – 2^nd; 100m (10.64)
Mike Rodriguez – 3^rd; 100m (10.77)
Alik McIlravy – 3^rd; 3000m Steeplechase (9:46.60)
Caleb Tofteland – 3^rd; 5000m (15:18.02)
Heinz, C. Van Sickle, Ashley, Price – 3^rd; 4x400m (3:16.76)
Carter Van Donge – 4^th; 100m (10.80)
Kalarga Mukhtar – 4^th; 400mH (55.83)
Mike Rodriguez – 4^th; Long Jump (6.75m)
Kalarga Mukhtar – 5^th; 110mH (15.12)
Aziah Ashley – 6^th; 400m (48.85)
Caleb Tofteland – 6^th; 1500m (3:58.64)
Daniel Greenlee – 6^th; Shot Put (14.72m)
Josiah McFarland – 7^th; 110mH (15.24)
Collin Bliven – 7^th; 400mH (56.02)
Jordan Carter – 7^th; Triple Jump (13.12m)
Carter Van Donge – 8^th; 200m (22.13)

Up Next: Qualifying athletes will compete at the NAIA Championships in Asheville, North Carolina on May 20-22.

Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut

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Players Mentioned

Aziah Ashley: 6' 0"; Senior

Jordan Carter: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Braden Kalvelage: 6' 0"; Senior

Joshua Lewis: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Alik McIlravy: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Mike Rodriguez: 6' 2"; Junior

Carter Van Donge: 6' 0"; Freshman

Carson Van Sickle: 6' 3"; Sophomore

Collin Bliven: 6' 3"; Freshman

Daniel Greenlee: 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Aziah Ashley
: 6' 0"; Senior

Jordan Carter
: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Braden Kalvelage
: 6' 0"; Senior

Joshua Lewis
: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Alik McIlravy
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Mike Rodriguez
: 6' 2"; Junior

Carter Van Donge
: 6' 0"; Freshman

Carson Van Sickle
: 6' 3"; Sophomore

Collin Bliven
: 6' 3"; Freshman

Daniel Greenlee
: 6' 1"; Freshman