The West Chester University track and field team won several events and performed well in others as they hosted the WCU Collegiate Invitational at Farrell Stadium on Saturday.
In the men’s 400-meter dash, Nick Drozd took first place with a time of 48.71 seconds. Alex Foulke took fourth (50.37), while Josh Swift, Jake Perry, and Adam Heath placed sixth, seventh, and eighth respectively in a great showing for West Chester.
Also winning an event Saturday was Zach Musselman, who took first in the men’s 1500-meter run with a time of 4 minutes, 9.54 seconds. And in the 4x400m relay, a team consisting of Foulke, Swift, Heath and Drozd was runner-up with a time of 3:23.46.
On the women’s side, Sam Smarkola was impressive as she took third in the 100m (12.72 seconds), second in the 200m (26.25), and second in the long jump (17 feet, 9.5 inches).
Nicole Smith won the 800m (2:14.81), while teammate Kathleen Casey came in a very close second (2:15.01). Kim McManus won the women’s 3000m steeplechase in 12:01.75 while Brigid Gallagher took the women’s 400m hurdles in 1:08.05.
The women’s 4x400m relay team consisting of Smarkola, Smith, Casey, and Danielle Kuhn who won their event in 4:04.06.
In the field events West Chester had victories as well. Dillon Wallner won the men’s javelin with a mark of 175 feet, 7 inches. Kayla Owens won the women’s shot put with a distance of 38 feet, 9 inches, while Amanda Hughes won the triple jump (34-5).
LeQuan Chapman, meanwhile, took second in the long jump (22 feet, 6.5 inches) and third in the triple jump (41 feet, 9.75 inches).
Brian Pellechia took sixth in the hammer throw (153-8), while Wallner was seventh (140-2). Capping off an excellent meet on a personal level, Wallner also took fourth in the shot put (41 feet, 9.5 inches).
In total, West Chester took first place in nine events with the combined efforts of the men and women. That meant it was their best showing so far in the spring season.
Next Saturday, West Chester will travel to East Stroudsburg University to take part in the All-American Meet. The famous Penn Relays beckon the following week from April 26-28.
Joey Samuel is a third-year student majoring in political science and Spanish. He can be reached at JS719745@wcupa.edu.