Gator Men Take Case Title

Feb 3, 2007

Case Invite Results (.pdf)

CLEVELAND – The Allegheny College Gators dominated the field at the Case Invitational, hosted by Case Western Reserve University, winning by 12.5 points, and recording four first-place finishes. Sophomore Joe McMahon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) led the way for the Blue and Gold, winning two events overall in helping the squad to the team title.

The Gators scored 104 points, out-distancing Baldwin-Wallace and host Case Western, who ended the meet with 91.5 and 72 points, respectively.

McMahon took first in both the long and triple jumps, leaping to a personal best distance of 21-4.75 in the long jump, before winning by nearly two feet in the triple jump, an event that he is ranked fifth nationally, with a leap of 44-2. Teammate Matt Yurky (Homer City, Pa./Homer-Center) took fourth in the triple jump, qualifying for the NCAC Championships with a personal best leap of 41-6. Yurky later took fifth in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.17 in the finals.

Frank Tupta (University Heights, Ohio/Hawken) and Devin Cruea (Geneva, Ohio/Geneva) each brought home a win in the throwing events, Tupta winning the shot put with a toss of 47-1.75, and Cruea in the weight throw with a distance of 53-7.5, four feet further than second place. Pat Confer (Bradford, Pa./Bradford) finished second on the team in each of the events, taking sixth in the shot put, throwing to a distance of 44-8.75, before finishing third in the weight throw with a personal best throw of 45-7.75.

The pole vaulting duo of Peter Sotherland (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Central) and Erich Wittmer (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) took second and third in the event, each clearing 13-5.75.

Chris Corkins (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) and Garret Piispanen (Fruita, Colo./Fruita Monument) placed second and fourth in the mile run, Corkins finishing with a time of 4:27.26 and Piispanen 4:30.05, each qualifying for the conference championships in March.

The 4x200-meter relay team of Josh Brannan (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe), Chas Moore-Seymore (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis), Marcus Solomon (Rockwell, Texas/Dallas Christian) and Jeremy Walker (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) took third overall, less than a second from first place, with a time of 1:33.38. Brannan went on to take an individual fifth place finish in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.71.

Jakeb Zimmerman (Leechburg, Pa./The Kiski School) took third in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 9:17.02.

Next week the Gators split their squad, with portions of the team going to the Boston University Valentine Invite, and the others to the Bucknell University Invite.

Printable Version