University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
UMass Invitational
Minutemen Tally 13 Top Three Finishes At UMass Invite
April 09, 2011 | Men's Track & Field
April 9, 2011
Results |
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AMHERST, Mass. - Sixty degrees with sunshine and clear skies was the layout for the men's track and field team at the UMass Invitational on Saturday. In the team's first home meet of the season, Ken O'Brien's squad placed third, tallying 133 points. The Minutemen earned five first place finishers and eight spots between second and third place finishes.
Kicking off the day with a bang was the 4x100 meter relay squad comprised of Tyler Cotto, Chris Greene, Ted Greene, and Quinn Ryder. The quad placed first in 42.43, also qualifying for the IC4A Championships. Following the relay event was Patrick McGowan in the 1500 meter run with a time of 3:58.09, good enough for second place. Co-freshman Antony Taylor trailed McGowan in 4:01.96, finishing in fifth.
Sophomore sensations Paul Grafov and Evan Donadt proved successful for the Minutemen on the Amherst nine lane facility. The former of the two placed second in the 400 meter dash, crossing the line at 49.77. Donadt also placed second, but in the 400 IMH with a time of 54.16. Freshman Aaron Araujo also competed in the 400 hurdles, as he placed third in 54.57.
In the sprints and hurdles Tyler Cotto and Quinn Ryder led the way with two first place finishers. The Holliston, Mass. native, Cotto, ran home in 14.67 in the 110 meter hurdles. Ryder crossed the line at 10.99, taking home the top spot as well. In the 200 meter dash, Ryder placed third with a time of 22.83.
In the field Daniel Wu and Kevin Spieler were superb for UMass as both tallied top spots in their events. Wu, a Finance major, jumped a distance of 23-2.50 in the long jump and Spieler threw for a distance of 48-2 in the shot put. Spieler also participated in the discus and hammer throws. In the former of the two, the senior competitor placed second with a mark of 149-10, and in the latter he placed fifth throwing a distance of 153-05. David McKenna was also key in the throws events for the Minutemen as the senior placed third (148-11) in the discus and seventh (147-05) in the hammer.
Other strong performances in the sunshine on Saturday came from Daniel Barry in the 800 meter run, and a 4x400 meter relay team comprised of Michael McDonough, Tom Mullen, Zach Hildenbrandt, and Paul Grafov. Barry placed fourth in his event in 1:54.10, and the UMass quad placed third in the relay with a time of 3:24.29.
The Minutemen return to action next Saturday for the second consecutive home meet, in the form of the Minutemen Invitational, set to kick off at 11:30 am. Check back on UMassAthletics.com for a time and date of showing for the UMass Invitational's tape delayed production on CBS 3 Now.
