DMR runs to gold as LHU Men’s Track & Field opens PSAC Championships in style

BETHLEHEM – The Bald Eagles claimed gold in the distance medley relay and the effort headlined today’s (Sunday, Feb. 18) outing, as the Lock Haven men’s indoor track and field team opened the 2023-24 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Indoor Championships at Lehigh University’s Rauch Fieldhouse in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Lock Haven won the DMR with a time of 10:17.05 as the Bald Eagles edged out second-place Bloomsburg (10:17.56) in a thrilling race.

It was Andrew Wehrle (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney), Brennan Miller (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg), Kirk Stewart (South Park, Pa./South Park) and Gavin Furey (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) who teamed up to take home top honors and earn the conference championship.

From the start, Wehrle put the Bald Eagles out in front with a 3:08.61 – 1,200-meter leg, and Miller ran the 400-meter leg in 51.72. Stewart’s impressive 1:57.18 leg at 800 meters kept Lock Haven in line for the title, and Furey’s remarkable final leg – a 4:19.55 effort at 1,600 meters – held off all challengers at the line.

Eric Zalar (Shamokin, Pa./Shamokin) placed fifth in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 52-00.75.

Both Kwame Whitaker Jr. (Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland) and Jakob Rager (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown) placed seventh in their respective day-one finals. Whitaker was seventh in the long jump with a leap of 22-10.75 and Rager placed seventh in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 15:26.40.

Whitaker closed the day with a strong run in the 200-meter prelims. He ran the fourth fastest time (22.33) and will move on, and into the finals tomorrow.

In the 60-meter hurdle prelims, Austin Kravetz (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) ran the fourth-fastest time (8.29, Lock Haven #3 all-time) and qualified for tomorrow’s finals.

The two-day PSAC championship meet continues tomorrow (Monday, Feb. 19) at 11:30 a.m. A full championship schedule and more details of the event can be found at GoLHU.com.