Freshman pole vaulter William Kallas made quite an impression Saturday afternoon, reaching NJCAA indoor and outdoor qualifying standards in COD's season opener at Gately Park.
 
Kallas won the event at 4.55 m (14 feet, 11 inches), ranking fifth among the nation's qualifiers for the NJCAA indoor championship March 7-8 in Lubbock, Texas.
 
He will be the Chaparrals' first male competitor at the Division I meet since 2023 when Jack Sauder placed seventh in the pole vault at 4.13 m (13-6 ½).
 
Kallas wasn't the only Chap winning a title Saturday. Sophomore All-American and reigning NJCAA high jump champion Ronan Cornelius cleared 1.93 m (6-4) to earn a trip to the NJCAA outdoor championship in May.
 
Earning D3 outdoor qualification standards were: All-American Weston White (200 m, 22.72 seconds), All-American Elijah Phipps (200, 22.89), All-American Timothy McMiller (200, 23.61), Connor Vine (800, 2:03.07), Phipps (long jump, 6.29 m, 20-7 ¾), Karam Tajeddin (triple jump, 13.0 m, 42-8), Tayo Taiwo (shot put, 13.33 m, 43-9, Sterling Sawicki (shot put, 12.06 m, 39-7), and John Tarpeh (shot put, 11.94 m, 39-2 ¼).
 
COD competes Friday at Olivet Nazarene.
 
Aurora Grand Prix
Gately Park, Chicago
Jan. 25, 2025
College of DuPage
Men
 
60 m — Timothy McMiller 7.16, Weston White 7.23, Zaki Mohammed 7.53, Jeremiah Moton 7.62.
200 — White 22.72&, Elijah Phipps 22.89&, McMiller 23.61&, Owen Fitzgerald 24.26.
400 — Joseph Jackson 53.46, Chris Ruchaj 53.53, Khalil Hamilton 56.40, Joshua Charnota 56.81.
800 — Connor Vine 2:03.07&, Jack Schultz 2:06.91, Addisu Wolski 2:08.55, Victor Chulico 2:20.34.
Mile — Vine 4:31.80, Wolski 4:46.57, David Aviles 5:07.84, Thomas Payne 5:25.61.
3000 — John Buchanan 9:23.15, Roman Nevarez 9:31.61, Miguel Capulin 9:45.97.
60 hurdles — Karam Tajeddin 9.38.
4 x 200 relay — 1:35.31 (Kallas, Moton, Rosa, Fitzgerald).
4 x 400 relay — 3:40.06 (Anthony Urban, Jackson, Phipps, Ruchaj).
High jump — 1. Ronan Cornelius 1.93 m (6-4)&.
Pole vault — 1. William Kallas 4.55 m (14-11)#&, Jack Chmelik 3.35 m (10-11 ¾), Joshua Haug-Ramirez 2.75 m (9-0 ¼).
Long jump — Phipps 6.29 m (20-7 3/4)&, Urban 6.04 m (19-9 ¾), Mohammed 5.25 m (17-2 ¾).
Triple jump — Tajeddin 13.0 m (42-8)&.
Shot put — Tayo Taiwo 13.33 m (43-9)&, Sterling Sawicki 12.06 m (39-7)&, John Tarpeh 11.94 m (39-2 ¼)&.
Weight throw — Sawicki 14.58 m (47-10), Taiwo 13.16 m (43-2 ¼), Matthew Edborg 10.64 m (34-11), Tarpeh 10.53 m (34-6 ¾).
 
#-Qualified for NJCAA indoor championship, March 7-8, Lubbock, Texas
&-Qualified for NJCAA outdoor championship, May 8-10, Utica, N.Y.