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Men’s Track and Field Win Four Individual Events at Wesleyan Invitational

John Nekitopoulos (file photo)
John Nekitopoulos (file photo)
Posted: Jan 28, 2023

WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State men's track and field team won four individual events as the Owls competed in the Wesleyan Indoor Invitational from Bacon Field House in Middletown, Connecticut on Saturday. Junior Colby Ranck (Chicopee, Mass.), graduate student Mike Maher (Attleboro, Mass.), junior John Nekitopoulos (West Springfield, Mass.) and first-year Gordon Johnson (Hanson, Mass.) all earned first place honors.

Ranck secured a first-place distance in the long jump, totaling 6.48m. Maher won the 3000m at a time of 9:40.85 while also placing fourth in the 5000m (16:23.92). Nekitopoulos claimed the mile, crossing the line with a time of 4:28.38 and then placed top five in the 1000m (2:45.95). Johnson, the former MASCAC Rookie of the Week, earned a first-place finish in the 800m with a mark of 2:02.82.

The Owls also had three second-place finishers on the day. Senior Shane Clark (Bellows Falls, Vt.) notched a pair of second-place tallies in the shot put (12.74m) and the weight throw (12.37m). First-year Justin Kennedy (Holyoke, Mass.) placed second in the 600m (1:26.53) and first-year Brogan Madden (Northborough, Mass.) leaped to a second-place mark in the high jump (1.85m).

Westfield had a trio of top five runners in the 400m, beginning with Jace Falcone (Wilbraham, Mass.) in third (56.78) followed by Brendan DeBarber (Enfield, Conn.) in fourth (56.96) and Kyle O'Brien (Whitman, Mass.) in fifth (57.03).

Junior Dylan Clark (Bellows Falls, Vt.) earned a pair of top four marks in the shot put (12.05m) and weight throw (12.76m).

Nick Hanley placed fourth in the 1000m (2:44.06) and Aidan O'Neil secured fifth in the 600m (1:42.84).

The Owls closed the afternoon with two top-three finishes in the 4x400 meter relay with the quartet of Nekitopoulos, Johnson, Colin Mahoney (Plainville, Mass.), and Kennedy finishing first in the race with a combined time of 3:37.05. The second Owls relay team made up of DeBarber, Co. Ranck, Falcone, and Brenden LaForest (Westfield, Mass.) earned third place with a time of 3:46.96.

Westfield State will be back in action on Thursday, February 2 as the Owls compete in the All New England meet from Boston, Mass.