Men's Track Leads Conference Meet After Day One

May 3, 2013

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Navy men's track and field team won three individual events to lead the team standings after the first day of the two-day 2013 Patriot League Outdoor Championship at Lehigh's Goodman Campus.

Navy leads the eight-team meet with 51 points and Bucknell is in a close second with 50 points. Army is third with 46 points and is followed by Lehigh (12), Colgate (9), Holy Cross (9), American (8) and Lafayette (1).

Senior Christopher Galvin won the 10,000m run with a new Patriot League Championship Meet record to open Friday's competition. Galvin clocked a first-place time of 29:57.26 to win the race by 45 seconds. His time was a new personal best, the 10th-best time school history and under the IC4A-qualifying standard. Galvin is the first Navy men's track distance runner to win the Patriot League 10,000m race.

Sophomore Mark Vetere won a Patriot League pole vault title for the fourth time in his young career. Vetere, the Navy school-record holder the event, cleared an IC4A-qualifying height of 16-2Â¾ (4.95m) to win his second outdoor league title. He has also won two indoor pole vault league titles. Sophomore Josh Drablos cleared the second-best height of the field at 14-9 (4.50m), but placed sixth due to previous attempts.

Freshman Jay Stell won the javelin in his first Patriot League Championship appearance. Stell posted a mark of 216-6 (65.98m) to earn 10 points in the event. Stell was over the IC4A standard in the javelin for the sixth time this season. Sophomore David Capote also scored in the javelin by placing fifth with a mark of 190-10 (58.18m).

Navy's 4x800m relay team placed second at 7:32.10 (IC4A). The quartet of senior Joshua Shaw, junior Sean Rynning, sophomore Joshua Kingsland and junior Weston Kennedy earned all-league second-team honors with their runner-up finish.

Junior Zack Duncavage placed fourth in the hammer throw with a personal-best throw of 185-9 (56.62m) and sophomore Tom Buffone was fifth at 180-8 (55.07m). Buffone surpassed his previous personal best by 14 feet and both he and Duncavage were over the IC4A-qualifying mark.

Sophomore Rico Goldstone placed fourth in the long jump to secure four team points. Goldstone posted a distance of 22-6Â½ (6.87m), his outdoor season personal-best mark..

Senior Mitch Simmonds clocked a 14.66 (IC4A) in the prelims of the 110m hurdles to advance to Saturday's eight-man final with the fourth-best qualifying time.

Junior Brett Bogaard ran the fourth-best qualifying time in the 200m dash at 22.00 and freshman Austin Batiste had the fifth-best at 22.31 to advance to the final. Bogaard (11.14) and Goldstone (11.23) also advanced to Saturday's 100m dash final.

Senior Chris Fowler completed the five decathlon events on the opening day and sits in third place with 3274 points. Fowler had the top shot put mark at 41-6Â½ (12.66m) and he ran a 12.11 in the 100m dash. Fowler also ran a 52.17 in the 400m dash, cleared 6-0 (1.83m) in the high jump and made a long jump of 20-3Â¾ (6.19m). Fowler will compete in the final five decathlon events on Saturday.

Saturday's action will begin at 9:00 AM.

All-Patriot League First TeamChristopher Galvin    10,000mMark Vetere      Pole VaultJay Stell      JavelinAll-Patriot League Second TeamJoshua Shaw      4x800mSean Rynning        4x800mJoshua Kingsland    4x800mWeston Kennedy    4x800mPatriot League Championship Meet RecordsChristopher Galvin    29:57.26 - 10,000m