LHU Men’s Indoor Track & Field kicks off weekend with school record and PSAC marks
ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Lock Haven men’s indoor track and field team competed in a pair of events on Friday (Feb. 9) as they sent athletes to Grand Valley State University’s Big Meet and Susquehanna University’s River Hawk Friday Night Showdown.
After winning the Utica Fast Trax Invite last weekend, the Bald Eagles continue to hit their stride as we inch closer to the conference Championships with another impressive showing with top-five finishers, a program record, individual bests and more.
At Grand Valley State, Kwame Whitaker (Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland) (12.59; ninth) broke the Bald Eagles’ long jump record for the second time this season with a new program-best mark of 23-11.75 (PSAC) to place fifth overall. The freshman broke the generation-old Lock Haven record at the first meet of the season.
Whitaker also joined the record books in the 200-meter dash with a lightning fast time of 22.19 (PSAC), the fourth fastest time in program history.
Andrew Wehrle (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) continued the theme with a top-10 time in program-history in the 800-meter, clocking in at 1:55.19 for seventh-best all-time.
Josiah Schans (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) led three Bald Eagles with PSAC times in the 60-meter hurdles, with a run of 8.60. Austin Kravetz (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) and Matt Reinard (Camp Hill, Pa./Cumberland Valley) both finished their heats in 8.68 (PSAC).
Jakob Rager (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown Area) continues to impress in his rookie season and ran a PSAC time of 15:31.87 in the 5000-meter run in a very deep field of athletes.
Nick Bellomo (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore) recorded a PSAC qualifying mark in the pole vault with a throw of 14-0.5.
Kirk Stewart (South Park, Pa./South Park) adds to his breakout season with another PSAC qualifying time in the mile, finishing in 4:18.0.
Whitaker, Matthew Muthler (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts), Brennan Miller (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) and Aydan Summers (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) teamed up to finish 12th in the 400×400-meter relay with a time of 3:20.80. The time is the fastest for the program since 2012.
At Susquehanna, Eric Zalar (Shamokin, Pa./Shamokin) had another stella meet as he placed second in the weight throw with a PSAC mark of 51-8.5. Nathan Fetchkan (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) recorded a throw of 42-8.5 to place 10th.
Chase Young (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) finished third in the triple jump, just missing a conference qualifying mark with a leap of 42-10.5.
Nathan Fetchkan recorded a conference qualifier in the shot put, with an impressive heave of 45-8.5.
NEXT UP:
The Bald Eagles return to Allendale, Mich. tomorrow (Feb. 9) for day two of the GVSU Big Meet.
