Strong outing leads LHU Men’s Track & Field to PSAC marks

LEWISBURG – The Lock Haven men’s indoor track and field team turned in a busy two days competition this weekend (Friday – Saturday, Jan. 26 – 27) and the Bald Eagles hit a number of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship qualifying marks.

The majority of The Haven action was at Bucknell’s Bison Open and Multi meet, held Friday and Saturday, Jan. 26-27, but two Bald Eagles did compete Friday (Jan. 26) at Penn State’s National Open.

At Penn State Friday night, both Kwame Whitaker Jr. (Fredericksburg, Pa./Courtland) and Gavin Furey (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) hit PSAC championship qualifying marks.

Whitaker, already the school-recorder in the long jump, finished 10th vs. an elite field at Penn State in the event. He jumped a PSAC qualifying mark of 22-02.25.

Furey ran 1:56.34 at 800 meters and the time sits as a PSAC qualifying mark.

Leading the way Friday at Bucknell was the Bald Eagles’ fourth-place finish in the distance medley relay. Lock Haven was fourth of 12 teams with a time of 10:25.67, one of the top marks to date this season in the PSAC.

Lock Haven showed depth in the 60-meter hurdles, held Friday night as Austin Kravetz (Altoona, Pa./Altoona), Josiah Schans (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) and Matt Reinard (Camp Hill, Pa./Cumberland Valley) finished seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively in the prelims with times of 8.74, 8.77 and 8.79. In the finals, Kravetz placed sixth with a PSAC mark of 8.55.

Over the two days at Bucknell, multi-event performers Matthew Muthler (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) and Nick Bellomo (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore) both shined in the heptathlon. Muthler was second of 12 with 4,608 points and Bellomo was third with 4,339 points.

For Muthler it was a personal-best as he improved on a mark from earlier this season. This recent two-day total of 4,608 is the fourth-best mark in school history and just shy of the No. 3 spot. Bellomo’s impressive collegiate debut in the event left him just shy of cracking the all-time top-five.

Furey returned to action today (Saturday, Jan. 27) at Bucknell and led the way with a victory in the 1,000-meter run.

Kirk Stewart (South Park, Pa./South Park) had a solid day behind a second-place finish in the mile.

In the mile, both Stewart and Tanner Walter (New Columbia, Pa./Milton Area) hit PSAC qualifying marks. Stewart was second overall with a collegiate-best time of 4:19.67. Walter was ninth in the event with a time of 4:25.45.

Behind Furey’s victory in the 1,000-meter event in 2:37.84, the Bald Eagles dominated the event. Stewart followed up his strong mile with a second-place finish in the 1,000m in 2:40.02.

Dylan Way (Montrose, Pa./Elk Lake), Walter and Austin Melius (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte) finished fifth (2:42.68), sixth (2:42.98) and 10th (2:45.43), respectively.

Andrew Wehrle (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) placed third of 25 in the 800-meter run in a PSAC time of 1:57.08 and returned to take fourth in the 500-meter run in 1:08.20.

Jakob Rager (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown) finished eighth in the 3,000-meter run with a PSAC effort of 8:56.20.

Eric Zalar (Shamokin, Pa./Shamokin) placed fourth in the weigh throw with a notable throw of 52-10.25, a PSAC qualifying toss.

Nathan Fetchkan (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) hit a PSAC mark with a collegiate-best toss of 47-00.25 in the weight throw.

Dominic Caputo (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) rounded out the PSAC qualifying marks with a fourth-place leap of 44-11.50 in the triple jump.

Whitaker also returned to action today and ran well at 60 meters. His time of 7.12 in the prelims was just shy of a PSAC time.

The Bald Eagles closed the day on the track with a third-place finish in the 4×400-meter relay.

Up Next for Lock Haven:
The Bald Eagles will compete Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Utica Blue & Orange Invitational.