LHU’s Bellomo & Muthler hit NCAA marks, headline long list of notable performances

LOCK HAVEN– The Lock Haven men’s outdoor track & field team turned in a busy weekend of competition as the Bald Eagles sent athletes to compete at both the Susquehanna River Hawk Multi and Invite (Fri. – Sat.) and the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic (Fri. – Sun).

The busy three days of action was highlighted by a number of strong individual performances and The Haven men collected several 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship qualifying marks.

It was, however, Peter Bellomo (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore) and Matthew Muthler (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) who headlined the effort as the two dynamic athletes continued to impress, and they both once again soared to 2024 NCAA Division II championship qualifying marks.

Bellomo, a freshman, finished second in the javelin throw Saturday (April 13) at Bucknell with an NCAA DII and PSAC championship qualifying mark of 201-05 – the throw even more impressive given the adverse weather conditions with coolers temperatures and gusty winds.

Muthler turned in a brilliant two-day (Fri. & Sat.) effort in the decathlon at Bucknell. He was second overall of 12 and finished behind only a DI competitor – Canyon Hall of Army West Point. Muthler’s two-day total of 6,456 points was a personal-best, a PSAC and NCAA championship qualifying mark, and it’s the fourth-best mark in Lock Haven history. To date, it’s the second-best mark this season in the PSAC.

Over the two-day span of the decathlon, Muthler won the 400-meter dash (51.86) and the 1,500-meter run (4:27.91), and he was second in the high jump (6-02.5, #PSAC) and the javelin throw (156-06).

Competing today (Sunday, April 14) at Bucknell, the Bald Eagles racked up PSAC marks in the 800-meter run and hammer throw, among several other events.

Morgan Gavitt (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville), Andrew Wehrle (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) and Gavin Furey (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) stood out at 800-meters with impressive runs of 1:53.80, 1:55.61 and 1:55.98, respectively. Gavitt finished 34th of 157 finishers as he led The Haven trio under the PSAC standard.

In the hammer throw, Eric Zalar (Shamokin, Pa./Shamokin), Nathan Fetchkan (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) and Colton Myers (Boiling Springs, Pa./Cumberland Valley) hit PSAC marks with throws of 153-04, 151-03 and 149-03.

Austin Kravetz (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) hit a PSAC mark in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.30 and Josiah Schans (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) ran 15.44 (PSAC).

Ryan Miller (Bradford, Pa./Bradford) ran well at 400 meters and finished with a PSAC time of 48.41.

Michael Lawrence (Blakeslee, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) ran to a PSAC time in the 100-meter dash (10.87).

Miller, Kwame Whitaker Jr. (Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland) and Lawrence added PSAC runs at 200 meters with efforts of 21.97, 22.09 and 22.29.

Matt Reinard (Camp Hill, Pa./Cumberland Valley) hit a PSAC time in the 400-meter hurdles with a mark of 55.07. Schans ran well in the event (400mH) as well, and finished with a time of 57.12.

Justice Shoats (Wilkes Barre, Pa./Holy Redeemer), Jakob Rager (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown), Chris Hine (Plains, Pa./Holy Redeemer), Braedon Firanski (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield) and Zalar all hit PSAC marks Saturday at Bucknell.

Shoats jumped 6-04 and tied for 11th in the high jump.

Rager finished 11th of 90-plus in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:59.83. Hines ran 32:30.76 in the 10K.

Firanski (143-03) and Zalar (140-10) hit PSAC marks in the discus.

On Saturday (April 13) at the Susquehanna River Hawk Multi and Invite, Dylan Cassetori (Plains, Pa./Holy Redeemer) led the way with a PSAC mark at 200 meters (22.35). Austin Melius (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte) finished third in the 800-meter run.

Up Next for Lock Haven:

It will be a short layoff for the Bald Eagles as The Haven plans to return to action on Wednesday, April 17 at Shippensburg’s Mid-Week Invitational.