SELINSGROVE, PA - Day two of the Landmark Conference Outdoor Championship meet proved to be one for the history books as the men's track and field team captured their fifth consecutive outdoor conference title with a championship meet record 241 points. The day was highlighted by record-breaking performances, individual honors, and a dominant team effort across the board.
Senior Benjamin Bulger led the charge, breaking the Landmark and championship records in the 400-meter hurdles with a new PR and the top NCAA Division III time in the country of 51.47. His efforts earned him the title of Track Athlete of the Year. The 4x400-meter relay team of Mason Winslow, Brandon Zimmerman, Bulger, and Elliott Davis also etched their names in the record books, winning the event with the sixth-fastest NCAA Div. III time this season of 3:12.03, setting both championship and Landmark records. First-year Calder El Bachir Diakite was named Rookie of the Year after a standout day, including a championship-record performance of 14.37 in the 110-meter hurdles. The men's coaching staff was also recognized, earning Men's Coaching Staff of the Year honors for guiding the team to a historic finish.
The day began with the 3000-meter steeplechase, where first-year Thomas McGann clocked a personal best of 10:36.40, and fellow first-year Joseph LaBarbera recorded a PR of 11:16.00. In the 4x100-meter relay, the team of sophomores Dominic Santos, Mason Winslow, first-year Jordan Donahay, and senior Brandon Zimmerman placed first and set a new championship record with a time of 41.12. The 110-meter hurdles final was a showcase of excellence. First-year Calder Diakite won with a championship record of 14.37. Junior Carter Smink placed second with a PR of 14.57, followed by senior Ben Bulger (14.38, PR) in third, and senior Ezra Miller (14.38, PR) in fourth. Junior Rowan Smith placed fifth with a PR of 15.47, while first-year Nikolai Lulewich (15.69, PR) and sophomore Charles Montross (16.37) placed sixth and eighth, respectively.
In the 400-meter dash, senior Elliott Davis ran a new championship record of 47.50 to take first. Mason Winslow placed second with a PR of 48.00, first-year Aidan Diglio finished fifth with 49.40 (PR), and first-year Henry Notarfrancesco ran 49.94 (PR) for eighth. Sophomore Ryan Sullivan recorded a PR of 51.91. In the 100-meter dash, Brandon Zimmerman took second in 10.63, and Dominic Santos followed in third with 10.92. In the 800 meters, sophomore Ian Anderson ran a season-best of 2:01.25. In the 400-meter hurdles, Ben Bulger's record-breaking 51.47 led the way. Carter Smink placed fourth with a PR of 55.56, while Nikolai Lulewich (56.32, PR), Rowan Smith (58.56), and junior Justin Weychert (59.81, PR) rounded out the top ten. The 200-meter dash saw Zimmerman win with a time of 21.44, followed by Davis in second with 21.53. Winslow placed fourth with a PR of 21.90, Diakite finished sixth (22.27, PR), and Santos came in eighth (22.33).
In the triple jump, senior Jackson Mabry won with a mark of 13.79 meters, followed by sophomore Deatrick Moyer in second (12.96 meters), and senior Ethan Roe in seventh (12.01 meters). The high jump, junior Rowan Smith cleared 1.89 meters to place fourth, and sophomore Charles Montross jumped 1.84 meters for fifth. In the javelin throw, junior Tim Kizis finished second with a personal best of 53.96 meters, while sophomore Jace Hershey placed third with a throw of 53.13 meters. In the discus, junior Cole Goodwin threw a season-best 42.31 meters, placing fifth.
Ahead for many of the men's track and field student-athletes are the All-Atlantic Region Track & Field (AARTFC) Championships, hosted by Williams College (Mass.) May 14-15. For a select few their names have been called for the NCAA Division III National Championships, set to be run May 22-25 at Geneva, Ohio's SPIRE Institute.
