By: Bill Morgal, sports information director
The Shippensburg University men's indoor track & field team had an absolutely phenomenal Saturday at Penn State University, as
Gian Greggo broke the school record in the shot put and
Gabriel Lewis improved his school record in the 60-meter dash among a score of new personal bests achieved at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge.
Greggo joined an elite group of throwers in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) history by joining the 60-foot club. On his second attempt Saturday, Greggo delivered a shot put of 60 feet, 0 ¼ inches (18.29 meters) to win the competition, besting a field of 25 other competitors that included 18 NCAA Division I throwers.
For Greggo, the performance was a PR of 2 feet, 4 ½ inches (.72 meters) – a major improvement upon a previous-best throw from two weeks ago at Bucknell. It moves Greggo past Grant Smith, whose record of 59 feet, 5 inches (18.11 meters) had lasted for 12 years.
Greggo became just the sixth thrower in the nation (NCAA Division II) this season to break the 60-foot mark. It almost assuredly should be enough to merit a trip to Virginia Beach in March for the NCAA National Championships.
Lewis, who broke the 60-meter record in the season opener back in December by running 6.67 seconds at Bucknell, improved upon that performance Saturday by winning the finals in 6.66 seconds. He went toe-to-toe with fellow PSAC sprint great Michael Fellin of Kutztown and defeated him in Saturday's race by .09 seconds. The two men are the current class of the PSAC on the league's performance list (Fellin was an NCAA qualifier last season who ran 6.65 seconds).
Ni'male Greenwood joined Lewis in the 60-meter final, and like his teammate, delivered the fastest sprint of his career. After qualifying for the finals with a prelim time of 6.86 seconds, Greenwood unleashed an NCAA provisional qualifier of 6.79 seconds that ties him with SU Hall of Famer Herman Kirkland for fourth all-time in Raider history. Greenwood also slots behind Lewis and Fellin at the No. 3 spot on the PSAC performance list.
Quinton Townsend had another terrific day on the track with a pair of impressive individual efforts. His 200-meter run of 21.77 seconds was the third fastest in the field (Greenwood ran fifth in 21.83 seconds), and was just a tenth of a second off his PR set Sunday at Penn.
But that wasn't the biggest highlight of the day for Townsend, who earlier completed the 400 meters in an eighth-place time of 48.35 seconds that did result in a new PR for the Palmyra native. The new personal best of .64 seconds moved him from ninth place up to third place all-time at Shippensburg and puts him second on the PSAC performance list.
Chase Hensinger made it back-to-back outings with a PR in the 800 meters. After his run of 1:52.87 Sunday at Penn, Hensinger ran three-tenths of a second faster. His time of 1:52.57 is the fastest in the PSAC this season and affirms his No. 4 all-time ranking among Raiders.
Tommy Crum Jr. achieved a PR for the second straight meet (and second time this week) but unlike Hensinger, he did it in a different event than Sunday at Penn. Crum Jr. won the 3K in a marvelous time of 8:14.47 that moves him from seventh place into fourth place all-time at SU and is the fastest time in the PSAC this season by a five-second margin.
It was an excellent day overall in the mid-distance and distance events for the Raiders.
Ben Hummel impressed in the 800 as well by running 1:54.96 – a time that ranks him third in the PSAC.
Garrett Quinan and
Ryan Wolfe joined Crum with conference qualifiers in the 3K. Quinan ran eighth in 8:38.33 while Wolfe crossed the finish line in 8:43.21.
Brennan Wellock (4:21.92) and
Daniel Naylor (4:22.46) picked up PSAC qualifiers in the mile; the two men had a busy day as they also competed in the 1,000 meters – finishing sixth and seventh respectively.
Townsend,
Ke'Aune Green, Hensinger and
Jak Kearney finished second behind only Morgan State in the 4x400-meter relay, with the Raiders clocking in at 3:17.49. It is a season best for the Raiders and just .45 seconds off the pace of Slippery Rock's quartet that leads the PSAC. Kearney also finished fifth in the long jump, leaping 22 feet, 9 inches (6.93 meters),
Ethan Conrad competed in the long jump indoors for the 15th time in his career Saturday and made it his best yet. Conrad landed a new PR of 22 feet, 7 inches (6.88 meters), slotting him right behind Kearney, and resulting in a PSAC-qualifying mark. It's the second straight meet in which Conrad has landed a new personal best in the long jump.
Other field action included Greggo throwing the weight 57 feet, 11 ¾ inches (17.66 meters) and
Jackson Sotosky clearing the high jump bar at 6 feet, 3 ¼ inches (1.91 meters).
Shippensburg returns to action Friday and Saturday with two days of competition at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational hosted by Liberty.
60
1.
Gabriel Lewis 6.66 (6.74p) (NCAA 'P') (SU record)
5.
Ni'male Greenwood 6.79 (6.86p) (NCAA 'P') (T-4th all-time at SU)
Ke'Aune Green 6.96
Lavar Jackson 7.14
200
3.
Quinton Townsend 21.77 (PSAC)
5.
Ni'male Greenwood 21.83 (PSAC)
Lavar Jackson 22.36
400
8.
Quinton Townsend 48.35 (PSAC) (No. 3 all-time at SU)
Mohamed Himmad 50.31
600
No entries
800
Chase Hensinger 1:52.57 (PSAC) (No. 4 all-time at SU)
Ben Hummel 1:54.96 (PSAC)
Jackson Gutekunst 1:58.39
Davey Johnson 1:58.60
1000
6.
Brennan Wellock 2:36.26
7.
Daniel Naylor 2:37.84
Mile
Brennan Wellock 4:21.92 (PSAC)
Daniel Naylor 4:22.46 (PSAC)
3K
1.
Tommy Crum Jr. 8:14.47 (PSAC) (No. 4 all-time at SU)
8.
Garrett Quinan 8:38.33 (PSAC)
Ryan Wolfe 8:43.21 (PSAC)
60 Hurdles
Isaiah Brightman 8.52 (PSAC)
Ethan Conrad 9.63
4x4 Relay
2.
Quinton Townsend,
Ke'Aune Green,
Chase Hensinger,
Jak Kearney 3:17.49
Isaiah Brightman,
Ben Hummel,
Davey Johnson,
Jackson Gutekunst 3:32.73
High Jump
8.
Jackson Sotosky 6' 3 ¼' (1.91m)
Pole Vault
No entries
Long Jump
5.
Jak Kearney 22' 9" (6.93m) (PSAC)
6.
Ethan Conrad 22' 7" (6.88m) (PSAC)
Triple Jump
No entries
Shot
1.
Gian Greggo 60' ¼' (18.29m) (NCAA 'P') (SU record)
Weight
Gian Greggo 57' 11 ¾" (17.66m) (PSAC)
