BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Desmond Gist (Detroit, Mich./Trenton) capped off his outstanding indoor track and field season with a 15th place finish in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Division III nationals on Friday, March 10, 2023. Gist and Head Coach Ben Markison made the trip to Birmingam, Ala., and it marked the second straight national meet for Gist who placed 14th in the 110 meter outdoor hurdles last May.

Coach Markison quipped, "Desmond came in as the 18th-rated hurdler and finished 15th in a very competitive race. It would have taken a PR for him to make finals and he came out and ran his 2nd-fastest time ever. There's not much more that I can ask of him, we just need to continue working."

"These meets are always great for Des because it shows how much he still has to improve," said Markison. "He is used to being one of, if not the best hurdler at every meet we go to. I think this will give him that extra push going into the outdoor season. We talked after his race and agreed that qualifying is no longer the goal, it is now the expectation. The goal is to work towards being in the top 8."

Gist and his Bluffton teammates will return to action with the outdoor opener on Saturday, March 25, when the Beavers travel to Cedarville University.