Slippery Rock University’s men’s track and field team traveled to Youngstown State University Friday to compete at the YSU College Invite.
As a whole, the team produced 20 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) qualifying marks, as well as four finishes in the top five and one event win.
“Overall we had a good performance with many individual improvements,” Rock head coach John Papa said.
Sophomore James Chandler, graduate student Monte Chapman, senior Andrew Schroder and junior Jacob VanHouten took first in the 4×400 meter relay with a time of 3:22.09, a new season best. VanHouten and Chandler also competed in the 400-meter dash hitting PSAC qualifying times of 49.82 and 49.84 taking eighth and ninth place.
Freshman Collin Darby and junior Brandon Vanderbrook joined Chapman in the 200-meter dash. All three men hit qualifying times of 22.42, 22.57 and 22.81. Finishing up the last of the sprint events was the 60-meter dash, run by Darby, Vanderbrook and sophomore Noah Bostick with times of 7.03, 7.04 and 7.25.
Bostick, senior Nate Zigler and senior Michael Hartos hit PSAC marks in the 60-meter hurdles with times of 8.43, 8.91 and 8.94. Bostick took fifth in the event, followed by Zigler and Hartos in 12th and 14th. Two middle distance runners hit PSAC qualifying marks in the 800-meter run.
Senior Ryan Thompson and junior Tyler Palenchak ran times of 1:55.26 and 1:56.15 placing fourth and sixth. Thompson was this week’s Male PSAC Athlete of the Week, recognized for his win of the mile run at Edinboro last week, his first time with the honor. Thompson ran a time of 4:18.77, putting him right at the top of all PSAC mile times.
“Hopefully, these last two weeks are an indicator of what we can do at PSACs,” Thompson said. “We are competing well early in the season but we know we can all improve.”
On the field side, Bostick competed in the high jump and took seventh with a jump of 1.90 meters. Two Rock competitors hit the PSAC qualifying distance in the long jump.
Sophomore Caleb Smithco and senior Marcus Carter jumped distances of 6.67 and 6.48 meters. Smithco and Carter took seventh and 11th. Freshman Jessee Romanchak had a jump of 12.91 meters in the triple jump to earn himself a spot at the Conference meet. JJ Ollio took sixth in the weight throw with a throw of 15.92 meters. He also competed in the shot put where he took second place with a distance of 15.50 meters. Senior Jerrod Galloway took ninth with a distance of 14.10 meters.
The Rock will compete next at the SPIRE Midwest Open in Geneva, Ohio, a two-day event this coming Friday and Saturday.
