Full Results of Collegeville Invitational
Full Results of Villanova Invitational
COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. and STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The Haverford College Men's Track & Field team had quite the busy Saturday, competing in the Collegeville Classic in the Floy Lewis Bakes Center on the campus of Ursinus College, and the Villanova Invitational inside the Ocean Breeze Complex on Staten Island, N.Y.
Collegeville Classic
First up for the Fords on the day was the Collegeville Classic, where the Scarlet and Black placed ninth overall, posting 28 points.
The Men's 55-meter dash started the day for the Fords, with five Haverford runners competing over eight different sections. In section three, Eugene Yang finished in third-place with a time of 7.68 in his first time competing in the event.
Another first-timer in the event was Boahen Kwakye, who landed second place in section six with a time of 8.33. His teammate Matthew Ruiz made his debut in the event, scooping up fourth-place in section six with a time of 8.36.
Over in section seven, Sophomore Jason Mayo placed second, crossing the finish line in 7.66 seconds. The lightning pace was good for eighth overall in the dash. Just like his teammates, Nathan Ma also participated in the 55 meter dash for the first time, completing the race just behind Mayo in section seven with a time of 7.71 seconds.
Taking a look at the mile run, the Scarlet and Black were able to place three runners in the top eight, collecting 15 points from the event. Seamus Fraser headlined the Haverford contingent, smashing his personal best time of 4:39.09 in 2022, with a time of 4:25.35. The new personal best for Fraser earned second-place in the run and a key eight points for the Fords. His teammate Owen Bluma gathered six points in the event with a time of 4:29.10, achieving third-place and a new personal best.
Finishing with a time of 4:35.74, senior Sammy Schindel edged out the competition by one second to claim the eighth and final spot, adding one to the scoreboard for Haverford. Other notable competitors who crossed the finish line were Evan Daniels (15th place, 4:47.84) and Xingyun Yang (19th place, 5:01.61).
Four runners competed in the Men's 400 meter dash, as Jonah Hoffman-Weitsman (fourth place, 1:01.98) and Kevin Villafane (fifth place, 1:03.23) raced in section six. In section seven, Leo Gordon won the heat leading the group with a time of 1:00.30. Competing in his second event of the day, Ruiz secured fourth place in section seven with a time of 1:00:30.
Haverford had two runners compete in the Men's 800 meter run, with both competitors racing in section three. Junior Sam Diaz claimed second place with a time of 2:08.42, while first-year runner Gopal Patel earned ninth-place with a time of 2:18.56 in his 800 meter debut.
The Men's 200 meter dash saw two different runners compete in two different sections. Mayo raced out to a second-place finish in section eight, earning a new personal best in the event with a time of 24.72. Eugene Yang participated in the 200 meter dash for the first time, claiming third in section 10 with a time of 35.25.
Six Haverford participants competed in the 3000 meter run, with first-year distance runner Luke de Valpine obtaining second-place in his 3000 meter debut. De Valpine finished with a time of 9:09.54, adding another eight points to Haverford's overall team score. Right behind him, was another first-timer in the competition, as sophomore teammate Joseph De Rosa grabbed fourth-place in the event tacking on another five points for the Fords, crossing the finish line with a time of 9:16.11.
Competing in the 3000 meters for the second time, Rowan Shigeno claimed a new personal record with a time of 9:40.3, finishing in 13th place. Other notable times in the run for the Scarlet and Black were run by Devan Abrams (16th place, 9:49.02), Kieran McDonnell (18th place, 9:53.39), and first-year Cullen Worth (21st-place, 9:59.46).
Picking up first-place in the competition was West Chester with 116 points, while host Ursinus finished in second with 108 points. Rounding out the top three was Rowan, who earned 64 points on the day.
Villanova Invitational
To cap off the day, the Scarlet and Black went toe-to-toe with several division I schools in the Villanova Invitational.
The 60-meter dash prelims started the second competition of the day for the Fords, as Jonathan Hill and Zenas Boamah both ran in heat one. Hill just narrowly missed achieving a new personal best, crossing the finish line in sixth-place with a time of 7.27. Boamah on the other hand, secured a new personal best in the event, with a time of 7.41 to finish in seventh-place.
In a crowded mile field that consisted of eight division I schools, Reza Eshghi's and Matthew Denton both achieved new personal bests. Esghi's time of 4:13.76 garnered 15th place, while Denton's time of 4:17.93, notched 21st.
Of the 29 runners in the 800 meters, the Fords had two competitors in the pack. Sophomore Micah Lachman picked up a new personal best with a time of 2:00.25, slotting into 25th-place. Just behind Lachman, was junior Reed Solomon ,who placed 27th with a time of 2:00.25.
Hill and Boamah also joined 28 other challengers in the 200 meter dash. Competing in different sections, both Hill and Boamah captured third place in their respective groupings. Hill's new personal best time of 22.85 earned himself 18th place, and is now the fourth best mark in Haverford program history. Hill previously held the seventh-best mark in program history. Boamah's time of 24.52 notched 30th place overall.
Peter LaRochelle was the lone competitor in the 3000 meter run, as the junior eclipsed a new personal best with a time of 8:25.24 to finish 11th out 39 other runners
Next up for the Fords is a return home to the Alumni Field House, to host the Seamus McElligott Invitational on Saturday, January 27, at 10:30 a.m. The meet will serve as the official "Play With Pride Meet" for the 2023-24 indoor track and field season.