BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Denison men's track and field travelled to Birmingham, Ala. on Saturday and placed third overall at the Hilltop Classic hosted by Birmingham-Southern College at Battle Field. Totalling 113 points and nine finishes in the top three, the Big Red finished three points behind second-place BSC with 116 points and one point ahead of Millsaps in fourth place (112). Cumberland University took home the team championship with 171 points.

Earning a pair of individual titles for Denison were junior Ben Foster and sophomore Adam Cromwell. In the 3,000 meter steeplechase, Cromwell placed first overall with a final time of 10:26.37, his first time competing in the event during his DU career. Rhys Fitschen-Brown followed in second at 10:42.23.

Foster highlighted his day in the 1,500-meter run, finishing first overall after clocking in at 4:03.29. Niall Clancey trailed in fourth place at 4:11.06 and Jack Marchetti (4:24.31) and Clayton Watters (4:26.56) closed out the top-10 for Denison.

Also collecting a top-five finish in the 800-meter run, Foster finished in fourth place on a final time of 2:00.12. He was followed by Clancey in sixth (2:01.16), Millan Henegar in seventh (2:02.44) and Sam Bloodworth in 10th (2:04.49).

In the hurdles, James Dixie placed second overall in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.48, while Jack Ruddy landed in fourth in the 400 meter high hurdles at 57.89. Ruddy then joined Henegar, Bloodworth, and Clancey in the 4X400 meter relay where they placed third after logging a 3:32.06.

In the field events, junior Bryce Stricker earned a pair of top-five finishes, headlined by his effort in the hammer throw where he placed second overall on a throw of 164'4.75" (50.11 meters). Austin McManus finished three places behind in fifth at 143'10.25" (43.85 meters), while Grant Balogh followed with a new personal record in ninth place at 121'4" (36.98 meters).

Stricker also placed fourth overall in the shot put where he landed a toss of 39'7.25" (12.07 meters). The Big Red also claimed top-five finishes in the high jump where Ryan Fleming finished second on a leap of 6'2.75" (1.90 meters), and in the triple jump where Dixie placed third overall at 41'6" (12.65 meters).

In the javelin, Ivan Maldonado logged a third-place finish after reaching a mark of 166'4.75" (50.72 meters). Dixie followed in sixth at 149'10" (45.68 meters), and he also placed sixth in the long jump (20'6.50") where he was edged out by Alex Chin in fifth (6.26 meters).

McManus rounded out the field results in the discus where he placed sixth overall on a mark of 118'6" (36.12 meters).

The Big Red return to action next Saturday, April 6 when they travel to Delaware, Ohio to compete in the Marv Frye Invitational.