ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – The Ursinus College men's track and field team tuned up for the Centennial Conference championships in fine fashion on Saturday, racking up four event victories en route to a runner-up finish at Elizabethtown's Blue Jay Tune-up.
Junior Austin Bittenbender turned in an impressive afternoon on both the track and field. He won the long jump with a personal-best mark of 22 feet, 5 inches and moved into fourth in the conference in the process. Freshman Zach Crebbin was right behind in second with a personal-best 21-2, good for seventh in the CC.
Bittenbender also placed fourth in the javelin, missing his PR by just three inches with a 168-8, and sixth in the 200-meter dash (22.93), where freshman Tyree Williams-Jackson posted the best time of his career (23.56).
Junior Andre Kelly headlined a 1-2 finish in the 800-meter run, where his time of 2:00.73 was enough to edge classmate James McDaid (2:01.98) for the individual title. Junior John DeLia placed 10th (2:07.42), and freshman Jesse Wun notched a new PR with a 2:07.84.
Crebbin was second to none in the high jump, clearing 6-0.50 to claim top prize.
Sophomore Griffin McMann won the shot put with a season-best 47-8.50, two inches off his PR and enough to move into third on the conference performance list. McMann also placed sixth in the discus throw, where freshman Nick Galbraith took seventh with a personal best (116-6).
Junior Mike Felix grabbed second in the javelin with a heave of 177-11. Bittenbender nearly earned a new individual standard with a throw of 168-8, three inches off his personal record, while sophomore Evan Giannetti took sixth (155-8) and sophomore Adam Zucker produced a new PR of his own (115-9).
Freshman Octavious Carter was fifth in the 100-meter dash (11.23), and fellow first-year Brandon Slaboda took fourth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:03.55). Junior Brody Johnson registered a PR in the 110-meter hurdles (20.14).
Sophomore Kyle Berardi led a contingent of Bears in the 1500 with a 4:22.30 to place fourth. Wun finished fifth in 4:23.83, and freshman Caleb Torres secured a personal best with a 4:34.47.