JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Junior Matt Appel and sophomore Winslow Atkeson both competed valiantly for the Yale men's track and field team at the NCAA East Regional Meet on Friday. Hot and windy conditions made for an exciting, unpredictable day of competition, with Appel kicking off the action in the discus throw before Atkeson later toed the line in the 3000m steeplechase.  

It was a slight off day for Appel, as he threw 52.29m for 35th place in the region. While he'll be disappointed to miss out on qualification for the NCAA National Championship Meet, which was secured by finishing as one of the top 12 throwers on the day, Appel should be proud of a fantastic season in which he won his first Ivy League title and completely shattered the school record in the discus. In the process, he has consistently elevated the standard across the entire team, uplifting his peers towards numerous incredible performances of their own. Friday's result will no doubt motivate Appel to return even stronger next year, when he'll use the day's lessons to propel him to an even higher level of performance. 

In the steeplechase, Atkeson navigated the tricky conditions admirably with a strong run that only served to further highlight his immense potential in this event. Running in the third heat of three, he hung tough with the leaders until the penultimate lap before finishing well to come home in seventh place, his 8:57.34 being good enough for the 18th fastest time on the day. Each of his four steeplechase races this year have now been between 8:52 and 8:59, despite massively different conditions and race environments. That consistency stands him in good stead as he looks to make a further step up next year. If he can continue to improve at the rate he did this year, the sky is the limit for Atkeson.   

Friday's events wrap up a long and exciting season of NCAA competition for the Bulldogs. Many of the athletes are already recuperating at home, preparing to launch another assault on their bests next year. Others are still training, with the Harvard-Yale-Oxford-Cambridge transatlantic trip set to commence on June 20. Regardless of its outcome, the team should be proud of the progress that has been made this year. 365 days ago Appel was the Bulldogs' sole representative at this NCAA First Round meet. Atkeson's emergence in the steeplechase, along with Sean Kay's improved strength over the 10,000m, has allowed Yale to bring a larger group to Regionals this year. Expect an even larger group a year from now.

Full results from Friday's competition can be found here.