The first through third place team finishes were the same as last year, as Ohio Wesleyan came away with 88 points and the victory. Wabash was second with 76 points, as the Gator total of 72 was good for third.http://www.allegheny.edu
Gator Men Third at NCAC Relays
January 28, 2006
GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Allegheny College men’s track and field team placed third today at the NCAC Relays, hosted by Denison. Each school could choose three representatives for each individual event, with the top two competitors’ efforts then being combined and measured against the competition. All three of Allegheny’s relay wins came in the field, as the Gators won the shot put, triple jump, and high jump relays.
The first through third place team finishes were the same as last year, as Ohio Wesleyan came away with 88 points and the victory. Wabash was second with 76 points, as the Gator total of 72 was good for third.
In the shot put the duo of Pat Confer (Bradford) (right) and Frank Tupta (University Heights, Ohio/ Hawken) went 1-2 for Allegheny with throws of 46’3” and 45’4”, respectively, outdistancing Denison by nearly four feet in the process. Joe McMahon (Pittsburgh/ Baldwin) and Jeff Vangura (Murrysville/ Franklin Regional) (below) combined to win the triple jump, as McMahon’s leap of 43’5” was the top individual performance. Allegheny’s third and final victory came in the high jump relay, as Vangura paired with Sean Laird (Monroeville/ Gateway) to get the win. Four athletes actually cleared the winning height of 6’0”, including all three Allegheny entries, with Justin Schwab (Kill Buck, N.Y./ Salamanca) also tying for first for the Gators.
Other strong Allegheny performances came in the long jump, 5,000-meter, and 55-meter hurdle relays. In the long jump, McMahon and Laird joined forces to cover nearly identical distances, as McMahon sailed 20’9.75” compared to Laird’s best jump of 20’9.5”. Their combined effort of 41’7.25” was just off the mark of Ohio Wesleyan’s 42’3.75”. In the 5,000-meter run, Ben Mourer (Chicora/ Karns City) turned in an outstanding individual performance, crossing the line in a second place time of 15:29.02, helping he and Matt Smith (Sayville, N.Y.) to place fourth as a team. In the hurdles, senior David Griffin (Pittsburgh/ Montour) paired with freshman Matt Yurky (Homer City/ Homer Center) to place third, as Griffin’s time of 8.36 was the fourth best individual performance.
Three may be Allegheny’s lucky number, as the team placed third last season at the relays, only to go on and win the NCAC Championships with a total of 161 points, 65 ahead of second place teams Ohio Wesleyan and Wabash.
The Blue and Gold will look for their fourth consecutive NCAC Indoor Championship March 3-4, but for now will focus on next Friday, when the team will head to Case Western.