Point Park University men's indoor track and field, ranked No. 19 in the NAIA, competed at two NCAA Division I meets on the weekend at the Rutgers Scarlett Knights Open at the Armory in New York and the Youngstown State Mid-Major Open at the Watson and Tressel Training Site.
The Pioneers went to Rutgers and registered five NAIA national-qualifying standards and a couple of school records. The competitors at YSU also had several personal records as the team gets within two weeks of the River States Conference indoor championships on Feb. 17.
RUTGERS SCARLETT KNIGHTS OPEN
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The No. 19-ranked Point Park men showed their capabilities on the track and in the jumps at Rutgers on Friday and Saturday. Competing in the legendary venue the Armory Track, the Pioneers went up against mostly NCAA Division I competition at the meet.
Jannik Windelband, a junior from Germany, was a standout for Point Park setting school records in the 1,000 and 3,000 meters. The 1,000 meters had Windelband in fifth place at 2:29.77 to hit the NAIA 'B' national qualifying standard. Right behind was teammate Ramiro Ulunque in sixth also hitting the B standard at 2:30.24.
Windelband's second school record in the 3,000 meters was with a time of 8:35.72, good for 17th at the meet.
Elijah James had a high finish of fourth place in the 600 meters. His time of 1:21.46 was within the NAIA 'B' national standard, the third time he's been within that this year.
Akeem Mustapha, a freshman from Harrisburg, Pa., had Point Park's highest finish at Rutgers taking third in the long jump. Already an NAIA national qualifier in that event, he hit the NAIA 'A' standard with a leap of 7.25 meters.
Another NAIA mark was hit by Collins Eze in the triple jump. He placed fourth at 14.19 meters to reach the NAIA 'B' standard for at least the third time this year.
Mustapha was 14th in the high jump, and Eze was 18th with both clearing 1.80 meters. Eze and Maxwell Goode were both in the college division of the long jump whereas Mustapha was in the championship.
Kanye Mills made the finals in the 60-meter hurdles and placed fifth. That was with a time of 8.40 seconds. He is already a national qualifier in that event and was just off that pace at Rutgers.
In the 60 meters, Mustapha and Damir Lomax led the Pioneers running 7.08 seconds and 7.16 seconds, respectively, to both get into the Top 25 finishers. Lomax led the Pioneers in 24th in the 200 meters running 22.59 seconds with Juan Barrera running 22.98. Barrera was the top Point Park performer in the 400 running 51.00 seconds for 22nd place.
The sprinters combined on two relays in the Top 10. Point Park's 4x200 relay team of Barrera, Steve Bradley, Mills and Lomax took fourth at 1:31.33. The 4x400 squad of Barrera, Toby Wright, Lomax and James came in sixth with a time of 3:25.27.
The 800 meters had Ulunque take 14th at 1:56.48 and James close behind in 17th for a time of 1:57.10. Toby Wright was 22nd in the 600 running a time of 1:27.
YSU MID-MAJOR OPEN
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Point Park also competed at the YSU Mid-Major Open on Friday and Saturday. There were several PRs and Top 25 finishes at that NCAA DI meet as well.
The 5,000 meters was a highlight for the Point Park men with four runners entered and three PRs established. Luke McKenna, a freshman, led the way in 11th place with a career-best of 15:54. Sophomores Joshua Gosselin (16:05), Jordan Kullen (16:33) and Gabe Ebersole (16:57) were all 29th or better with Kullen and Ebersole getting PRs as well.
Chevaughn Fletcher had another high finish in the weight throw placing second overall at YSU. That was with a distance of 16.58 meters. David Attram placed 10th with a personal-record of 14.23 meters.
Attram paced the Pioneers in the shot put tossing 13.39 meters for 20th place. Jakob Blatnik was 22nd in the weight, and Ben Blahovec was 29th in the shot as the Pioneers continued their depth in the throws.
Andy Schach set a PR in the 1,000 meters running 2:43 for 11th overall. he also led the Pioneers in 800 running 2:04 with Wesley Thrower right behind at 2:05.
Dorian Boatswain was Point Park's top performer in the 60 dash and 60 hurdles running 7.25 seconds and 9.00 seconds, respectively.
Devon McGee got into action for the 200 and 400 running 23.14 and 54.55 to lead the Pioneers at YSU.
Xavier Tolliver represented the Pioneers in the jumps with his best being 16th in the long at 6.29 meters.
NEXT UP
Point Park will be at the SPIRE Collegiate Indoor Games on Saturday, Feb. 10 in Geneva, Ohio. That is the last meet before the RSC Indoor Track & Field Championships Feb. 17 at the Chieftain Center in Logan, Ohio.
