OXFORD, Ohio - The IU Indianapolis men's track team flexed some collective muscle at the season opening Blizzard Buster at Miami (Ohio) on Friday (Mar. 21), including a 1-2-3 finish in the 800m event. Freshman Joey Ashman won the 800m event with a time of 1:55.40 while sophomore Luke Shappell was just off his pace at 1:55.43. Another freshman, Riley Nixon, finished third in a time of 1:56.70 to round out a dominant team effort. 

Freshman Jaydon Steidinger finished tenth overall at 1:59.34 in his outdoor debut, running second in his heat. 

"It felt good to race with my teammates and get it done for the Jags," Ashman said following the win. 

For his effort, Ashman moved to No. 7 on the program's all-time list while Nixon claimed the No. 9 spot. 

In the 1,500m earlier in the day, it was rookies that led the way as well as Sam Grimes placed fourth overall in a team-best time of 4:02.15. Classmate Nick Cook was fifth at 4:03.43 and Alec Hueftle was seventh at 4:04.87. 

Sophomore Noah Price was tenth at 4:07.11 and Jay Pillai kicked off a double with a time of 4:07.41. 

The Jaguars will return to action on Mar. 27-28 when they compete in the WashU. Distance Carnival in St. Louis, Mo.