Salisbury University track and field athletes compete at 115th Penn Relays
PHILADELPHIA - Salisbury University track and field athletes participated in the 115th Penn Relays Carnival held at historic Franklin Field hosted by the University of Pennsylvania. The three-day event, the world's largest annual track and field meet, drew 111,720 fans from Thursday to Saturday. The three-day attendance mark is the fifth largest in meet history.
SU junior All-American Cory Beebe led the way for the Sea Gulls as he ran the fastest time in Division III this season in the men's 400-meter hurdles as he finished in 52.60 seconds on Friday. His time automatically qualifies him for the 2009 NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships next month. Beebe finished 13th overall out of 48 runners in the event. University of Florida freshman runner William Wynne won the event in 50.02 seconds. Beebe's previous best time of 53.20 seconds happened at the Sea Gull Opener back on March 7.
Junior All-American Delannie Spriggs finished 12th out of 24 runners, mainly from Division I programs, in the 100-meter dash heats on Friday. Spriggs finished fourth in his heat with a time of 10.70 seconds. He placed behind sprinters from Jamaica, University of South Carolina and Florida State University.
Junior All-American thrower Brandon Fugett participated in two different events on Friday. Fugett finished 11th out of 25 throwers in the college men's shot put eastern event with a toss of 15.68 meters (51 feet, 5.5 inches). He was the only Division III thrower in the college men's discus throw as he finished 29th overall with a toss of 43.69 meters (143 feet, four inches).
The Sea Gulls had two men's relay teams run on Friday as SU finished 43rd overall out of 85 teams in the 4x100 meter relay heats. Salisbury finished eighth in the second heat with a time of 42.19 seconds as Florida State won the heat in 40.10 seconds. The Sea Gulls also ran in the 4x400 meter relay as SU's team of freshman Paul Moore, junior Mike Marfut, junior Quentin Briscoe and Beebe won their heat with a time of 3:20.30 minutes. SU edged out teams such as Ithaca College, University of Hartford and Christopher Newport University. Salisbury's time was 55th best out of 80 teams in the heats.
On Saturday, junior thrower Christian Adami participated in the men's javelin as he was one of five Division III athletes in a field of 30. Adami tossed the javelin 51.51 meters (168 feet, 11 inches) to finish 28th overall.
On the first day of competition the Sea Gulls participated in two different events. SU's only women's event at the Penn Relays came in the 4x400 meter relay on Thursday. Salisbury's team of freshman Lauren Foreman, senior Jenn Bulger, junior Lindsay Meltzer and freshman Becca Stinner placed second in their heat with a time of 4:17.62 behind SUNY Plattsburgh (4:09.14). The SU team finished 79th overall. SU junior Bill Nastasiak ran in the Olympic Development men's 3,000-meter steeplechase on Thursday and finished with a time of 9:54.83 and 18th overall.
Salisbury will next participate in the 2009 Mason-Dixon Outdoor Track and Field Championships from May 1-2 at Frostburg State University.
