• Senior Austin Miller won his 15th pole vault title with a school record mark of 5.06m
• Senior Will Narramore won the triple jump (PR of 15.21m) and the long jump (6.87m)
• Junior Vinny Todaro won the mile run (4:19.97) and was second in the 3000m run (indoor PR of 8:36.21)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The High Point University men’s track & field team swept its five opponents at the HPU Team Challenge in a strong Thursday performance at the JDL Fast Track.
HPU earned dual victories over Campbell (97-37), the Citadel (83-61), VMI (90-51), UNCG (109-16) and Davidson (98-38).
“I’m very pleased with our performance today,” head coach Mike Esposito said. “We’re proud of Austin for breaking the school record again and it was nice to see Will Narramore grab a pair of wins in the long jump and triple jump. But there’s a lot to do over the next couple weeks as we prepare for the Big South Championship in Blacksburg.”
Four Panthers claimed individual event titles Thursday, led by senior Austin Miller, who won the 15th vault title of his career while usurping his school record in the event. The Herndon, Va., product vaulted 5.06m (16-6) to beat his previous record by .01m.
In addition to Miller’s strong performance, sophomore Todd Uckermark set a new indoor PR with a vault of 4.93m (16-2) to place second.
In sprints action, freshman Sean Banda broke through in a big way, winning the 60m dash with a collegiate PR of 6.93 seconds. Sprints buddy James House was right behind in second with a photo finish time of 6.94 seconds.
House responded just minutes later with a victory in the 200m dash (22.69 seconds). Banda placed third with a time of 23.21 seconds.
Senior Will Narramore jumped his way to a pair of event victories on Thursday. The Real String Bean charged to a new indoor PR while winning the triple jump with a mark of 15.21m (49-9). The mark eclipsed his previous PR by close to a half meter.
Narramore built on that performance by matching his indoor PR in the long jump. The Nashville native finished first in the event with a mark of 6.87m (22-5).
Also competing on the jumps circuit, Banda placed third in the long jump (6.25m) while freshman Brad Kanney was 16th (5.90m). In the triple jump, junior Pat Irwin placed sixth (13.08m).
Much like the Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots and Bruins in his native Boston, senior Paul O’Donoghue put forth a championship effort during a victory in the 800m run. The Franklin, Mass., product crossed the finish line in 1:55.57 to claim victory. Freshman Patrick Van Der Cruyssen was fourth. The Flying Dutchman finished in 1:59.24.
On the distance circuit, junior Vinny Todaro won the mile run with a time of 4:19.97. He was one of three Panthers leading the way in the race. Freshman Alejandro Torres placed second in 4:20.24 while senior Benji Szalai finished third in 4:20.55.
In the 3000m run, Todaro finished second in an indoor PR of 8:36.21, while redshirt-senior Jeff LaCoste placed fourth (8:45.57). Szalai was seventh (8:48.78) and Torres placed eighth (8:49.44).
Senior Nick Hula impressed in the 400m dash, finishing second in a season-best time of 50.89 seconds. Junior Nick Williams placed 11th in 54.77 seconds.
In throws action, senior Jim Wilson placed fourth in the weight throw while putting together a PR of 14.05m (46-1). Freshman Britton Mann finished seventh (12.84m).
Senior Dennis Crawford posted a 60m hurdles time of 8.52 seconds to place third in the event, while Irwin was 10th in 10.04 seconds.
The Panthers return to action next weekend (Feb. 20-21) at the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Va.