Men's Track & Field 2/25/2017 12:41:00 AM Lea Sobieraski, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Wildcat Men Finish Sixth At ECC Indoor Championships

Roginson Sets New ECC Record In The 5,000-Meter Run

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The Daemen College men's track and field team finished in sixth place, out of eight competing teams, at the East Coast Conference Championship meet held tonight at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex. Daemen accumulated 30 team points. Georgian Court accumulated 157 points to secure the ECC title.

Junior Kevin Roginson (Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) made his first appearance back on the track since competing at the Boston University Season Opener on December 3, 2016 and didn't miss a beat. The long-distance standout was the sole Wildcat to earn a first-place finish at today's championship meet, topping the field in the 5,000-meter run. Roginson posted a time of 15:45.21 in the event, establishing a new ECC Championship meet record. Enock Bor of Roberts Wesleyan held the previous three-year old record of 15:46.78.

Daemen saw several new school records fall in the 60-meter hurdles, 500-meter dash, and 4x400 meter relay at today's competition. Junior Zach Laird (Alexander, N.Y./Alexander Central), one of Daemen's first male hurdlers, established a new record in the 60-meter hurdles, crossing the finish line in 9.84 seconds. In his debut ECC Championship meet, first-year Tyler Compo (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) set a new mark in the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:09.05, good for a ninth place finish. Daemen's 4x400 relay team of Compo, Matt VanDeMortel (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva), Justin Petrocy (Elma,N.Y./University at Buffalo), and Nigel Cordulla (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) set a new school benchmark with a time of 3:30.18.

VanDeMortel and Niko Jemmison (Brookly, N.Y./Brooklyn Generation) each earned fourth place finishes in their respective events. VanDeMortel continued his stellar senior season, running the 800-meter race in 1:58.59, giving Daemen four points. Jemmison, Daemen's premiere sprinter, placed fourth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.18 seconds.

Additional highlights of the track events included a sixth place showing by sophomore Lucas Canales (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) in the 3,000-meter run (9:29.06) and Cordulla in the 1,000 meter (2:41.42). Labin Korir (Bomet, Kenya/Litein) and Justin Petrocy each placed seventh in their individual events. Korir, a freshman long distance athlete, ran the 800-meter in 2:08.96, while Petrocy sprinted the 400-meter dash in 53.50 seconds. Daemen's distance medley relay consisting of Cordulla, Korir, Michael Capestrani (Jamestown, N.Y./Jamestown), and Josh Bodnar (Fillmore, N.Y./Fillmore) placed third with a time of 11:04.51, just missing out on a new Daemen record (11:04.39).

In field events, Laird earned Daemen two points for his fifth place finish in the shot put with a heave of 12.6 0meters. Senior thrower Jonathan Dygert (Sprinville, N.Y./Springville-Griffith Inst.) finished seventh in the weight throw with a chuck of 11.55 meters.

Daemen resumes its 2017 season when the outdoor portion of the schedule gets underway with the Geneseo Early Spring Invitational on April 1st.

For breaking news and continuing coverage of the Daemen men's and women's track and field teams, follow @DaemenAthletics and @DaemenTRACK on Twitter.

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Players Mentioned

Lucas Canales: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Nigel Cordulla: 5' 9"; Senior

Jonathan Dygert: 6' 0"; Senior

Niko Jemmison: 5' 10"; Senior

Zach Laird: 5' 11"; Junior

Kevin Roginson: 5' 10"; Junior

Matt VanDeMortel: 5' 10"; Senior

Tyler Compo: 5' 10"; Freshman

Justin Petrocy: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Lucas Canales: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Lucas Canales
: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Nigel Cordulla
: 5' 9"; Senior

Jonathan Dygert
: 6' 0"; Senior

Niko Jemmison
: 5' 10"; Senior

Zach Laird
: 5' 11"; Junior

Kevin Roginson
: 5' 10"; Junior

Matt VanDeMortel
: 5' 10"; Senior

Tyler Compo
: 5' 10"; Freshman

Justin Petrocy
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Lucas Canales
: 5' 7"; Sophomore