ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Multiple top-10 and season-best marks by the Navy track & field teams highlighted the Mids' performance at the Wesley Brown Invitational held Friday and Saturday at the Wesley A. Brown Field House in Annapolis.
 
The Wesley Brown Invitational, which was not team scored, feature athletes from George Mason, Lafayette, NAPS and Richmond.
 
"Our energy was better this weekend," Navy director of track and field/cross country Jamie Cook said. "I was impressed by the multi athletes. They brought great energy and coach Chris Johnson did an excellent job preparing them. Getting three guys over 5,000 points was very good. Overall, we saw better performances across the board. We're going to keep working hard as we get closer to the bigger meets."
 
Multis
Sara McConnell won Navy's first pentathlon of the season with 3,305 points. She captured the high jump at 1.59 meters (5-2.50) and the 800 meters in 2:26.01 to secure the overall victory over teammate Bennett Pidro, who finished with 3,295 points.
 
Nick Simmons won the heptathlon with 5,174 points, claiming individual victories in the 60 meters (6.95) and the shot put (12.97 meters).
 
Track Events
Competing in his first meet of the season, team captain Nathan Kent finished second in the 200 meters, tying the seventh-fastest time in program history at 21.26. Meanwhile, Sophia Richter recorded Navy's fastest 200-meter time of the season, winning the event in 24.64 for the first time in her career.
 
The 60-meter hurdles came down to a photo finish, as Jason Keiser crossed the line in 8.05 to defeat George Mason's Davian Burke (8.06). Keiser now owns the two-fastest times on the team this season after posting an 8.17 at the Navy Indoor Invitational.
 
Savannah Swanda won the women's 400 meters for the first time in her career, clocking a 58.37 while holding off a late charge from teammate Samaria Williams.
 
Navy competed in the 5,000 meters for the first time this season with Jacob Crouch (14:52.09) edging teammate Jonathan Skemp (14:54.34) for the win.
 
Patrick Gandini captured the mile title with a career-best time of 4:04.60. The success continued on the women's side as Sophie Compton won in a season-best 4:49.61.
 
Navy swept the 1,000 meters with victories from Matt Newell (2:24.83) and Compton (2:52.35). The women's race featured one of the tightest finishes of the day with Compton narrowly defeating Reilly Nussbaum (2:52.70), Julia Blake (2:53.26), Kate Leddy (2:53.28) and Catalina Simon (2:53.75).
 
The strong distance performances continued in the 3,000 meters. Dane Eike earned his first-career victory in the event with a time of 8:08.74, while Susannah Heinz won the women's race in 9:58.64, the only sub-10-minute performance in the field and nearly 17 seconds ahead of runner-up Samantha Woodworth (10:15.46).
 
Field Events
Brian Schloeder tied the 10th-highest pole vault mark in program history, clearing 5.20 meters (17 feet, 0.75 inches) to win the event.
 
Aaron Spears secured Navy's first weight throw victory of the season with a mark of 17.21 meters (56-5.75) on his second attempt. Nalina Smith completed the sweep on the women's side with a throw of 16.32 meters (53-6.50).
 
Smith also claimed the shot put title, posting Navy's top mark of the season at 13.36 meters (43-10) to earn her second victory of the day.
 
Colby Fahrney won the long jump for the first time this season with a mark of 6.96 meters (22-10). Navy continued its success in the jumping events as Sheldon Ulmer captured the high jump with a winning clearance of 2.09 meters (6-10.25), his second victory of the season. Sarah Spahr earned her first collegiate victory on the women's side, clearing 1.65 meters (5-5).
 
Gary Choice III won the triple jump for the first time in his career, recording a leap of 14.08 meters (46-2.50) on his fourth attempt.
 
Zoie Tesi continued her strong start to the season by winning her third-consecutive event. She set a season-best mark of 12.06 meters (39-6.75) in the triple jump to edge unattached competitor Ashley Wallace (11.97 meters).
 
Up Next
Navy returns to action next weekend when it travels to Philadelphia to compete at the Penn Elite.