Gator Distance Shines at Bucknell

Apr 14, 2006

Results (PDF)

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Members of the Allegheny College track and field team attended the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic this evening. Amongst Division I, II, and III competition the Gators excelled, setting a slew of personal bests under the lights.

Highlighting the night was a pair of sub-15 minute 5,000-meter run performances. Junior Ben Mourer (Chicora/ Karns City) (below) was the first Gator to break the 15 minute barrier on the night, running to a time of 14:56.17. In a later heat sophomore Ryan Place (Meshoppen/ Elk Lake) (right) would go on to better Mourer’s time, racing to the line in a NCAA provisionally qualifying time of 14:40.10. Place finished 28th overall, and has now run the fourth fastest time in the NCAA this year.

Mourer and Place became the sixth and seventh Gator runners to break 15 minutes in the 5k. More remarkably, their efforts make them the fifth and sixth Gator runners to go sub-15 in the past three years, highlighting Allegheny’s recent trend of outstanding performances in the event.

Freshman Matt Hoy (Moon Township/ Moon) was the third Gator to smash a personal best in the 5k, finishing in a time of 15:17.87.

At the 10,000-meter distance another trio of Allegheny runners set personal bests, led by Chris Corkins (Horseheads, N.Y.), who finished in a time of 31:50.45. Not far off the pace were Chris Carrier (Lyndhurst, Ohio/ Charles F. Brush) and Devon Flynnperrault (Lafayette, Calif./ Campolindo), who finished in times of 32:07.81 and 32:54.09, respectively.

Continuing the trend of personal records, both Garrett Piispanen (Fruita, Colo./ Fruita Monument) and Matt Smith (Sayville, N.Y.) saw their best brought out at Bucknell. Piispanen ran to a time of 4:05.06 in the 1,500-meter run, while Smith ran a 3,000-meter steeplechase time of 9:37.70.

Allegheny also had one field athlete in attendance. Senior Vince Werner (Sheffield) threw the javelin 171'9", good for seventh place.

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