HIGH POINT, N.C. — Sophomore Christian Spaulding broke the High Point University men’s track & field record in the javelin and redshirt-sophomore Max Coleman picked up a win in the long jump in the fifth-annual VertKlasse Meeting on Saturday at Vert Stadium.
“The meet was a great success. It was the most competitors we’ve had, it was a great atmosphere again and the alumni presence was the best it has ever been,” said HPU head coach Mike Esposito.
“From a competitive standpoint, Christian stands out with the new school record,” Esposito added. “He had a frustrating week last week and it was nice to see him respond the way he did today. To see Max over seven meters was great.”
Spaulding threw the javelin 66.65 meters (218-8) for the win. He broke Josh Pelletier’s school record of 65.97 meters (216’5) from 2010. Spaulding’s previous best was 64.45 meters (211-5) from last spring. Spaulding also placed eighth in the discus with a throw of 42.45 meters (139-3), one spot behind teammate Jim Wilson, who took seventh with a throw of 42.83 meters (140-6).
Coleman won the long jump with a distance of 7.06 meters (23-2), his first collegiate win and a career best. Junior Tristan Faure placed fourth with a leap of 6.82 meters (22-4.5). Freshman Austin Miller continued his strong debut with a runner-up finish in the pole vault. He cleared 4.64 meters (15-2.75).
Freshmen Will Narramore and Jordan Carr competed in the triple jump, placing sixth and eighth, respectively. Narramore jumped 13.32 meters (43-8.5) and Carr let 12.98 meters (42-7). Freshman Adam DeVito placed 10th in the high jump with a height of 1.91 meters (6-3.25).
In the performance sections on the track, freshman Dennis Crawford was HPU’s top finisher, taking second with a time of 14.63 into a slight headwind in the 110-meter hurdles. Senior Ryan Venable took third in 14.82. Crawford also placed 10th in the 400-meter hurdles in 56.75. Junior Evan Emery placed fourth in the 200-meter in a time of 21.40.
Freshman Benji Szalai placed seventh in the mile (4:12.42) and ninth in the 800-meter (1:54.58). Freshman Paul O’Donoghue took 11th in the 800-meter in 1:55.08 and sophomore Jeff LaCoste placed 10th in the mile in 4:17.03. Senior Dakota Peachee placed fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:12.94.
“Austin Miller continues to be solid in the pole vault,” said Esposito. “Ryan and Dennis had good performances in the hurdles and that was a good double for Benji. He’s getting healthy and gaining confidence.”
In the participation sections in the morning, sophomore Ben Gjebre placed fourth in the 400-meter with a time of 50.37 and freshman Andrew Kuras took sixth in the 200-meter in 22.79.
Next up, the Panthers are competing in the Raleigh Relays at NC State next Friday and Saturday in Raleigh, N.C. Several team members will also compete in the WSSU Collegiate Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C.