Dylan Terpstra Races to Indoor 400-Meter School Record in Season Opener

The junior tops Brandon Wolliston's 2017 mark at the GVSU Holiday Open

Hope College's Dylan Terpstra started the indoor track and field season with a bang.

The junior from Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville) clocked the fastest 400-meter time in NCAA Division III on Friday with a school-record run of 48.16 seconds on Grand Valley State University's 300-meter track.

Terpstra eclipsed Brandon Wolliston's 2017 Flying Dutchmen record in the event and topped a field of 18 runners during the season-opening GVSU Holiday Open.

First-year head coach Jordan Bartolazzi wasn't shocked by Terpstra's fast start.

"I met Dylan this summer. After I left my first lunch with him, I said, 'This guy is going to be special,'" Bartolazzi said. "Every single practice this fall, he has shown up and worked very hard. He has a tremendous work ethic. I was pleased, but not surprised at all, by a performance like that. He put himself in a position early to be totally free from traffic. Secondly, he has the ability to close very well. It's a good start for him."

Terpstra finished 0.56 seconds ahead of 400-meter runner-up Noah Sage from Michigan State University. The non-scoring meet featured NCAA Division I, II and III and NAIA entrants.

Hope posted three of the event's fastest seven runs. Freshman Luke Bellino (Brighton, Michigan / Brighton) finished fifth at 49.10. Sophomore Kevin Barifagok took seventh at 49.52.
Terpstra also led off the nation's top Division III 4x400 relay.

Hope posted a runner-up performance of 3:20.58 behind runs from Terpstra, Bellino, sophomore Gavin Bush (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan / Birmingham Seaholm) and senior Erickson

Kunzler (Marne, Michigan / Grand Rapids Catholic Central). The Flying Dutchmen crossed the finish line behind only NCAA Division II GVSU, which went 3:14.84.
Kunzler clocked the Division III top finish in the 800 meters, placing seventh in 1:54.35.

Sophomore Logan Begeman (Portage, Michigan / Portage Central) took seventh in the 1-mile run invite, finishing in 4:10.77.

In the second heat of the 3,000-meter run, senior Chad Perrine (Jackson, Michigan / Jackson) recorded a third-place effort of 8:45.19.

Bartolazzi was pleased after the team's first meet. The Flying Dutchmen next compete on Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Aurora University (Illinois) Grand Prix near Chicago.

"So many good things," Bartolazzi said. "We could highlight the 400 — tremendous depth in that event — with really good performances. I thought our freshmen competed very well and showed a lot of composure. You could tell we were excited to be back on the track and starting the season on the right foot."

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