Hayden Beauchemin Becomes First Stag to Break Nine-Minute Barrier in Steeplechase

EAGLE ROCK, Calif. - Hayden Beauchemin broke his own CMS record in the steeplechase, taking over six  seconds off his PR to become the first member of the Stags track and field team to break the nine-minute barrier at the Occidental Invitational on Saturday.

Beauchemin ran an 8:56.77 to win the race at the Occidental Invitational, while moving up to tenth place in NCAA Division III so far this season (the top 22 receive invitations to the NCAA Division III Championships). His previous best time was also set at Occidental earlier this season at the school's Distance Carnival, when he clocked a 9:02.93.

Oliver Pick also competed in the steeplechase and ran a 9:06.95, which moves him into fifth place on the all-time Claremont-Mudd-Scripps list. It also moves him into 21st in NCAA Division III this season, just ahead of the current cutline to qualify for nationals. 

Mason Ratkovich was in action at the Occidental Invitational as well and moved into 13th place in Division III this year with a 3:47.82. He also moves up to third all-time in CMS history, just under a second behind the all-time mark of 3:46.99, set by Daniel Sealand in 2022. 

CMS will compete next weekend at last chance meets at both Azusa Pacific and Cal State Los Angeles as the Stags continue to try to secure qualifying marks for NCAAs later this month.