SELINSGROVE, PA - It was an emotional, but satisfying weekend for Susquehanna's men's track and field team as they opened their spring season hosting the Jim Taylor Duals. Not only was it a day of tribute for the meet's namesake, longtime Susquehanna track and field head coach Jim Taylor who passed away in January, but also served as senior day as a number of notable River Hawks responsible for the team's unprecedented success over the last four years took that ceremonial walk. The setting, which couldn't have been better with a 70-degree Saturday, was the perfect starting point for Susquehanna's assault on some impressive marks, with seniors Brandon Zimmerman and Elliott Davis already holding down the top national times in the 100 meters and 200 meters, respectively, to start the spring.

The meet actually began Friday with the shot put and hammer throw. Cole Goodwin threw a distance of 42.03 meters in the hammer, then later that evening in the shot put threw 13.22 meters, good for seventh place in the field that included Saint Francis, Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Dickinson. When competition picked up on Saturday, the throws continued to bode well for the River Hawks. Goodwin continued on taking fifth place in the discus throw with 41.60 meters. In the javelin throw sophomore Jace Hershey took second place with a throw of 59.14 meters. Sophomore Tyler Roush threw 51.61 meters in seventh place, while junior Tim Kizis placed ninth throwing 51.08 meters.

In the opening track event of the day in the 10,000 meters, sophomore Evander Lackman placed third with a time of 34:49.36. First-year Thomas McGann debuted with a 35:03.44 in fifth place. The team finished in a sweep of seventh through ninth place as senior TJ Grenda ran 35:28.87, and sophomores Asa Alderman and Hunter Valentino ran 35:32.74 and 37:41.92, respectively. In the 4x100 relay, sophomores Dominic Santos, Mason Winslow, junior Austin Hurrell, and first-year Jordan Donahay took second place with a collective time of 41.94.

Sophomore Jack Compton ran 4:42.55 in the 1500-meter. Senior Christian Calderaro ran a time of 4:44.20. During the 110 hurdles, junior Carter Smink ran 14.92 in third place while sophomore Charles Montross, in ninth ran 16.05. In the 400-meter, Winslow ran a 49.38 in second place. First-year Aidan Diglio in fifth place ran a time of 50.57. In seventh place first-year Henry Notarfrancesco ran a PR of 51.09. Senior Brandon Zimmerman ran a top mark in the country with a PR of 10.39 in the 100-meter in second place, beaten out by only Division I Saint Francis' runner at 10.35. Santos ran in fourth place with a PR of 10.69, while Hurrell ran a PR of 10.76 in fifth place.

The afternoon gave way to the Senior Day recognition ceremony, where head coach Ethan Senecal and company honored soon-to-be graduates Benjamin Bulger, Christian Calderaro, Elliott Davis, Terence Grenda, Jackson Mabry, Andrew McDowell, Ezra Miller, Ethan Roe, Brandon Zimmerman. 

The men's team took a huge sweep from first through fourth in the 400H. Senior Ben Bulger in first with 53.58 followed by Smink with 56.95. Junior Rowan Smith ran 57.72 and first-year Nikolai Lulewich with a PR of 57.79 took fourth place. In the 200-meter senior Elliott Davis ran a new top mark in the country with a PR of 21.31 in second place. Santos, in fourth place, ran a PR of 21.91. During the 4x400 relay, team A including Winslow, Zimmerman, Bulger, and Davis took first place with a collective time of 3:14.37. Team B with Smith, sophomore Charles Montross, Notarfrancesco, and Nikolai Lulewich ran a time of 3:39.24 in ninth place.

Out in the pits, sophomore Seth Taub vaulted 4.15 meters in fourth place in the pole vault. During the long jump, Zimmerman took first place with 6.94 meters. Hurrell jumped 6.65 meters in sixth. Bulger and senior Jackson Mabry took ninth and tenth with 6.43 meters, and 6.29 meters. In the triple jump, Mabry took third with a PR of 13.97 meters. Sophomore Deatrick Moyer PR'd with 12.83 meters in eighth place. In High Jump, Montross jumped 1.84 meters in sixth place. Lulewich in ninth jumped 1.79 meters.

The team's next meet was in Collegeville, PA for the Ursinus Track and Field Festival. It was a two-day meet on Friday and Saturday April 4th and 5th. Stay tuned for all the highlights.