Men Set HPU Indoor-Record In Distance Medley Relay

The High Point University men’s track & field team posted the top score against all four opponents on Thursday night at the High Point University Team Challenge in Winston-Salem, N.C. The DMR team of Benji Szalai, Nick Hula, Luke Goodrich and Jacob Smith combined to set a new HPU indoor-record with a time of 10:04.27.

The Panthers bested Davidson, Furman, North Carolina A&T and North Carolina State in the dual meet format competition. It was was the first dual meet in the regular-season during High Point’s Div. I era. HPU outscored all five opposing teams including a score of 61-40 over North Carolina State and 78-21 over Furman.

HPU experienced success all over the track at Thursday’s competition. In the DMR, Szalai, Hula, Goodrich and Smith combined for a time of 10:04.27, which broke the previous indoor-record of 10:07.20 that was set at the 2009 Big South Indoor Championship.

High Point continued its success on the track by winning the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:23.96. Hula and Goodrich were also members of the 4×400 team along with Paul O’Donoghue and Eddie Whitlock. The Panthers’Dennis Crawford also placed first in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.29.

In the field events, Max Coleman continued HPU’s success by winning the long jump with a season-best distance of 6.95 meters (22-9.75). Panthers’ freshman Jose San Miguel was the runner-up in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.28-meters (14-0.5).

The Panthers will be back in action next weekend at the JDL UCS Invitational, which will also be held at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C. The meet is set to begin on Friday, Feb. 14.