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The St. Thomas men’s track team competed in what assistant coach Erik Diley called a “tune-up” meet before next week’s conference meet at home Thursday evening.

Freshman Nick Braunig and senior Teddy Archer both set personal records with their jumps and qualified for the conference meet. For Archer, a member of the DIII national championship basketball team, it was a strong showing in his first track meet ever.

“He said he wanted to continue competing in college athletics,” Diley said. “I can’t remember too many people doing something like that. He’s a spectacular athlete. Enough people have seen him play basketball to know that.”

Archer qualified for the conference meet in the triple jump, recording a mark of 44 feet 4 inches. He believes that years of playing basketball is the key to his success.

“I was shocked because I’ve only been to a few practices,” Archer said. “Coach Diley has been beating in my head technique and form, and today I just went after it. On the first jump I had a conference qualifying mark, and I was thrilled.”

Long jumper Braunig put together what Diley described as his “best technical performance,” recording a 20 foot 10 inch jump.

“Nick has been flirting with a good, technical jump, and he finally put a good one together,” Diley said. “Practice pays off.”

Other teams competing in the meet included Minnesota, Minnesota State Mankato, Minnesota State Moorhead, Hamline, Augsburg and Bethel.

Diley said the team used the meet as a “tune-up for conference” and was happy with the weather considering the previous couple of weeks.

The Tommies compete in the Meet of Saints May 7, and the conference meet begins May 13.

Ryan Shaver can be reached at shav7005@stthomas.edu.