SWARTHMORE, Pa. – Seeking to improve their chances of making the field for the NCAA Division III outdoor championship, a pair of Bears took to the track at the Swarthmore Final Qualifier on Monday.
Senior Andrew Mackin made a move up the national performance list with a personal best of 1:52.38 in the 800-meter run. That time, which eclipsed his previous collegiate benchmark established at Princeton's Larry Ellis Invitational by .61 seconds, elevated him from 48th to 31st in Division III. Mackin won his heat and placed fifth overall among 65 competitors; he was the third Division III entrant to cross the line and outdistanced Division I runners from Princeton, American, and Manhattan.
Freshman Sam Pope, who is tied for 30th in the nation in the triple jump with a gold medal mark of 46-9.00 at the Centennial Conference outdoor championship, recorded a leap of 44-6.00 to place ninth.
Mackin will run the 800 again at Widener University on Thursday.