McMurdo breaks school record in javelin; Sea Gulls notch several top finishes
SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury University track & field team has had a busy few days, packed with action in two different meets in two different states. The Sea Gulls first traveled to Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va., to partake in the New Captain’s Classic on Saturday. On Monday, they hit the road again, this time to Swarthmore, Pa., to compete in the SWAT Last Chance Meet. Salisbury saw success in both meets.
The Sea Gulls fared well in the New Captain’s Classic, posting a flurry of top-three finishes. Three Sea Gulls captured first place in their respective events: seniors Quentin Briscoe (400-meter hurdles, 55.04 seconds) and Brandon Fugett (men’s discus throw, 159’ 7"/men’s shot put, 56’ 1”), along with freshman Matt McMurdo (men’s javelin throw, 188’ 7”). Freshman Dimitri Branford finished second in the shot put with a throw of 47’ 1”.
Salisbury also took home four third-place finishes: sophomores Lauren Foreman (200-meter dash, 27.39 seconds), Jennifer Houghton (women’s shot put, 35’ 6.75”) and Jay Drenner (men’s discus throw, 141’ 8”), along with junior Brandon Lane (men’s triple jump, 45’ 1.75”).
The SWAT Last Chance Meet saw even greater success as McMurdo’s javelin throw of 198’ 7” earned him a first-place finish and the top spot in the Sea Gull record book. The throw also bested his previous NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Fugett notched two more first-place victories, in the shot put (55’ 3”) and discus (150’ 6”). Senior Delannie Spriggs sprinted his way to a first-place finish in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.61 seconds.
The meet also marked a day of personal bests for two athletes: junior Chris Barnard, who ran a 9:31.29 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and sophomore John Fitzgerald, whose time of 15:17.27 in the 5,000-meter run bested his previous personal record by an astonishing 30 seconds.
The Sea Gulls will be on the road for their next meet, the Georgia Tech Invitational, on May 14-15.
