HIGH POINT, N.C.— The Montreat men's track & field team began the month of April with the VertKlasse Meeting, a 2-day meet hosted by High Point University on Friday and Saturday in High Point, N.C. With 24 entries spread out across nine events, the Cavaliers shined brightly, totaling two event wins, three national standards and three school records.
 
Dylan Branch highlighted the action on Friday in the 5000m. With Montreat running as the only NAIA program in the event, Branch beat out a plethora of NCAA Division I athletes to capture first overall in the 69-participant field. The Avon Park, Fla. native's 14:38.33 time not only garnered first place, but it also set the Cavs' school record while meeting the NAIA "B" standard. Ethan Stamey joined Branch in the top 10 with a time of 15:01.17, good for eighth.
 
Friday featured one additional top-15 nod on the track for Montreat as Philip Riddle (14^th) set a personal best in the 3000m steeplechase with a 10:17.37 race.
 
The Cavaliers collected five top-15 efforts across two field events during the initial day of action as well. Jonathan Pehot ended 10^th of 43 long jumpers behind his 6.58m showing, and Drew Bryant matched his top personal mark with a 6.51m leap and 13^th-place performance. Meanwhile, Edward McClellan (11^th; 4.06m), Caleb Wells (12^th; 4.06m) and Davis Nicol (T-15^th; 3.86m) all concluded the pole vault group B event within a few spots of each other. Wells eclipsed his personal best by clearing 4.06m.
 
Dustin Blevins delivered the best result of the weekend for the Cavs when he recorded the NAIA's second-best triple jump mark of the outdoor season on Saturday. The fifth-year track & field star bounded his way to a 15.25m showing, surpassing his own school record by 0.09m. Blevins' jump bested the NAIA "A" standard by 0.70m as he claimed first out of 32 competitors.
 
Wyatt Wilson also bagged a school record and a national standard in the 5000m race walk Saturday afternoon. Thanks to a 25:22.13 time, Wilson placed second out of 10 participants, meeting the "B" standard and breaking his own program-best time by more than two seconds.
 
Nathan Stamey impressed spectators during day two when he secured Montreat's final top-10 effort among a 72-runner 800m participation field. A native of Franklin, N.C., Stamey wrapped up his race in eighth thanks to a time of 1:58.87.
 
For a complete look at results from the VertKlasse Meeting, click here.
 
The Montreat men's track & field team remains in the area next Saturday when it travels to UNC Asheville for the Asheville Bulldog Invite.