Ben Orvold ran a career best for 5000m at the Friday Invitational Division of the Grand Valley State University BIG MEET held in Allendale, Michigan.

Orvold covered the distance in a time of 14:41.24, an improvement of 18 seconds on his best from 3 weeks ago at the UWP Ranger Open and 30 seconds from his career best set at this meet last year.  He finished third in the second of four seeded heats and he was 19th out of the 82 entrants.  

His time also met the NCAA II Provisional Mark.  Orvold is the first UWP male track runner since 2005 to meet an NCAA standard.  Quinn Newton earned that last mark in the outdoor 3000m Steeplechase where he finished fifth in his final collegiate race.

Coach Mike De Witt commented:  "Ben ran an excellent race.  The field was balanced to the point of 25 athletes seeded within 15 seconds.  Ben ran steady and even splits and moved from 20th to third during the fourth km of the race."

Orvold and Heidi Ertl on the women's side were the only entrants accepted into the Invitational Sections of the "Big Meet" which was attended by over 40 colleges and universities, including 5 Big Ten Schools and athletes from as far away as California, Colorado and Florida.