COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. -- The Houghton Highlanders produced several strong performances at the All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Conference (AARTFC) Championships hosted by Ursinus College on May 13-14, highlighted by multiple podium finishes against top NCAA Division III regional competition.

"I'm incredibly grateful for a season full of growth, perseverance, and people who chose to keep showing up for one another," said Head Coach Austin Beauregard. "I'm proud of this team for how they finished their season. I also wanted to give a huge thanks to Coach Hager and all he has done for this program for over a decade."
 
The top finish of the meet for Houghton came from Amos Bixler in the men's 5,000 meters. Bixler earned All-Region honors with a third-place finish in the finals, crossing the line in 14:57.26 to secure a podium position and score six team points for the Highlanders.
 
Houghton also earned a podium finish in the men's 4x800-meter relay, as the quartet of Evan Geer, Amos Bixler, Connor Little, and Henry Sardina placed eighth overall in 8:02.40 to score another team point.
 
On the women's side, Noelle Linenfelser delivered a strong performance in the women's 10,000 meters, finishing fifth overall in 38:03.47 to earn a podium finish and score four points.
 
Also competing in the women's 10K were Emberlynn Nolt, who placed 10th in 39:31.15, and Aria Larson, who finished 20th in 40:56.34.
 
In the men's 10,000 meters, Ben Allen finished 18th in 33:32.91, while Luke Ellis placed 25th in 34:34.29.
 
Jenna Binney led Houghton in the women's 800 meters with a 16th-place finish in 2:17.79, while Kyra Binney finished 43rd in 2:31.07.
 
The women's 4x800-meter relay team of Jenna Binney, Gwenna Haas, Kyra Binney, and Emberlynn Nolt finished 11th overall in 9:59.54.
 
Sophomore Alexa Belanger competed in the heptathlon and placed 10th overall with a school-record 3,828 points. Her top event performances included:

• Tied for first in the high jump section at 1.58 meters
• Third in the long jump section with a mark of 5.29 meters
• 10th in the 200 meters in 27.30 seconds

As a team, the Houghton men tied for 29th with seven points, while the Highlander women tied for 44th with four points.