Several Records Fall as Track and Field Kicks Off Season at USM Invitational

GORHAM, Maine - The Wentworth Institute of Technology track and field team opened up its 2021-22 season Saturday, competing at the USM Invitational.

Sophomore Elijah Sleasman (Albany, N.Y.) set a team record, putting in a distance of 4.30 meters in the men's pole vault with a first place finish. Freshman Nate Muller (Concord, N.H.) finished sixth in the event, recording a 3.10 meter vault.

Junior Kyle Moser (Southbury, Conn.) set the Leopard all-time record in the shot put, finishing with a throw of 14.02 meters and placing fourth overall. Junior Jared Pierce (Biddeford, Maine) finished sixth, getting off a throw of 13.74 meters. Sophomore Tyler Klockars (Phillipston, Mass.) competed in the event as well, putting in a throw of 10.52 meters and finishing in 12^th place. Coming in 16^th place with a throw of 9.40 meters was senior Jack Crowley (Scituate, Mass.), and right behind him in 17^th place was junior Max Juscen (Watertown, Mass.), who had a throw of 9.05 meters.

Wentworth continued to set new records, as junior Christian Army (Pembroke, N.H.) put in a long jump of 6.25 meters, another all-time Leopard best and good for a fifth place finish. Classmate Dre Colas (Cambridge, Mass.) followed in eight place in the event with a jump of 6.00 meters. Finishing in 13^th place with a jump of 5.58 meters was junior Matt Murphy (Foxborough, Mass.), and just behind in 14^th place was junior Jordin Pamprin, who jumped 5.43 meters. Army also competed in the men's 55 meter hurdles, finishing second overall with a time of 8.24.

Sophomore Dionne Ang (Victoria, Australia) competed in women's long jump for Wentworth, coming in 14^th place with a distance of 3.80 meters in her jump. She also competed in the women's 55 meter dash, coming in ninth place with a 8.14 second finish time.

In the men's triple jump, junior Dylan Kindberg (Rehoboth, Mass.) finished in fifth place with a jump of 11.64 meters.

Kindberg also competed in the men's high jump, finishing in fifth place and a 1.80 meter jump. Colas finished just behind him in sixth place, putting in a jump of 1.70 meters.

Pierce and Moser also competed in the men's weight throw. Pierce finished in third place with a throw of 12.89 meters, setting a Wentworth team record in the process. Moser was just behind in fourth place with a 12.87 meter throw.

Sophomore Eleni Christopoulos (Knoxville, Tenn.) competed in the women's pole vault event, finishing in sixth place with a 2.20 meter vault. Junior Colleen Sullivan (East Bridgewater, Mass.) competed in the 600 meter das for Wentworth, finishing in 1:57.81 and picking up a fourth place finish.

Wentworth had six members compete in the men's 55 meter dash. Freshman Ryan Abbotoni (Windham, Maine) had the best finish for the Leopards, coming in 14^th place in 6.98 seconds. Right behind him in 15^th place with a time of 7.02 seconds was classmate Jacob Noonan (Windham, Maine). Muller finished in 18^th place in 7.13 seconds, and Sleasman picked up a 21^st place finish in 7.24 seconds. Juscen finished with a time of 7.31 seconds and 23^rd place, and finishing out the event for the Leopards in 13st place with a time of 7.61 seconds was sophomore Jay Joseph (Springfield, Mass.).

In the women's one mile run, junior Annabel Chu (Raynham, Mass.) picked up second place, finishing in 5:50.13.

Two Leopards competed in the men's 600 meter run, with freshman Scott Stehlik (Northport, N.Y.) earning third place with a time of 1:33.93. In seventh place with a 1:51.61 finish was sophomore Matthew Wong (Quincy, Mass.).

Four members competed in the men's 200 meter dash, as Murphy led all Leopard runners with a time of 24.39 seconds and an 11^th place finish. Abbotini finished in 14^th place in 24.87 seconds. Prampin picked up 17^th place, finishing in 25.28, and just behind him in 18^th place and a time of 25.29 seconds was freshman Jacob Stewart (Worcester, Mass.).

The men's team had four sets of runners compete in the men's 4x200 meter relay. The team of Army, Stehlik, Prampin and Murphy took home second place in the event, finishing in 1:37.99. The team of Sleasman, Kindberg, Juscen and senior Collin Killiany (Cazenovia, N.Y.) finished sixth overall in 1:43.40. In seventh place with a time of 1:43.68 were Abbotini, Colas, Klockars and Noonan, and rounding out the event for the Leopards in eight place was the team of Stewart, Joseph, sophomore Sam Kabeya (Boston, Mass.) and junior Ed Ardolino (Saugus, Mass.), who had a time of 1:47.49.

In the women's 4x200 meter relay, the Leopards earned a fifth place finish, as Ang, Sullivan, Christopoulos and freshman Ashley Perry (Londonderry, N.H.) finished in 2:06.42.

After the winter break, the Leopards are back at it Jan. 8, when they compete at the Art Franham Invitational, hosted by MIT in Cambridge, Mass.

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