Several Personal Best Efforts Recorded During Opening Day Of The YSU Mid Major Invitational

Matthews Makes Program History By Competing In The Heptathlon

1/27/2023 10:50:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Tom McDermott, Director of Athletics Communications | tmcdermo@daemen.edu

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The Daemen University men's track and field team took part in the Youngstown State University Mid Major Invitational held today at Watson and Tressel Training Site on the YSU campus.

A top-ten effort by senior Dominic Clementi (Barker, N.Y.) in the 500 meters highlighted the day for the Wildcats. Graduate student Erik Matthews (Galway, N.Y.) also made program history, as he became the first athlete from Daemen to participate in the heptathlon.

HIGHLIGHTS

Clementi ran the 500 meters for just the second time in his career and placed seventh out of 31 runners with a personal best time of 1:08.73—eclipsing his previous best time of 1:15.20 that he set at the RIT Tiger Invitational on January 18, 2020. It also ranks as the fifth fastest time in the 500 meters at an indoor event in program history.
Clementi was one of five Daemen runners that took part in the 500 meters. Sophomore Phil Ceccarelli (Hamburg, N.Y.) placed 14^th with a time of 1:19.81—narrowly missing his personal best time of 1:10.46 he set at the 2022 East Coast Conference Championships. Senior John Bruggman (Batavia, N.Y.) placed 18^th with a personal best time of 1:11.30, while sophomore Nolan Robillard (Hamburg, N.Y.) placed 26^th (1:15.65). Sophomore Samir Laroussi (Clarence, N.Y.) ran the 500 for the first time in his career and placed 28^th (1:16.18).
Daemen also had five runners in the 1,000 meters. Junior Jon Moote (Wilson, N.Y.) ran the 1,000 meters for the first time in his career and placed 18^th out of 39 runners with a time of 2:42.76—which ranks as the seventh fastest time in the 1,000 at an indoor event in program history. Junior Connor O'Brien (Hamburg, N.Y.) placed 21^st with a time of 2:43.58, which ranks as the 10th fastest time in the 1,000 at an indoor event in program history. Freshmen Aiden Kincaid (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and Josh Trometer (Lancaster, N.Y.) ran the 1,000 meters for the first time in their collegiate careers and placed 28^th (2:49.72) and 30^th (2:50.49) respectively. Sophomore Laertes Cushing (Alden, N.Y.) placed 34^th with a personal best time of 2:55.26.
Laroussi, junior Tyrell Whitaker (Lancaster, N.Y.) and sophomore Hayden Grover (Alden, N.Y.) all took part in the 60-meter dash. Laroussi posted a time of 7:71 seconds and placed 70^th out of 83 runners. Whitaker placed 71^st and tied his personal best time (7.76), while Grover finished 77^th (8.10).
Junior Steven Blatto (Lancaster, N.Y.) was the top Daemen finisher in the 5,000 meters and placed 26^th out of 56 runners with a personal best time of 15:54.24. That ranks as the fifth fastest time in the 5,000 meters at an indoor event in program history. Junior David Schwinger (Buffalo, N.Y.) and senior Alexander Reynolds (Olean, N.Y.) also posted a personal best time in the 5,000. Schwinger placed 42^nd (16:50.74) and Reynolds placed 52^nd (18:15.30).
Juniors Hessen Bahgat (Fredonia, N.Y.) and Jake Carroll (Rochester, N.Y.) both took part in the weight throw. Bahgat placed 50th out of 60 entrants with a toss of 10.50 meters, while Carroll placed 57^th (9.38 meters). Bahgat and Carroll also took part in the discus throw. Bahgat placed eighth with a toss of 28.20 meters and Carroll placed ninth (23.30 meters).
Matthews became the first athlete from Daemen to ever take part in the seven-event heptathlon tonight. It includes three track events (60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles and 1,000-meter run) and four field events (long jump, high jump, shot put and pole vault). Matthews has never competed in five of the events (60-meter dash, 1,000 meters, high jump, shot put and pole vault) during his career.
The 60-meter dash, long jump, high jump and shot put took place tonight. He placed second out of 15 runners in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.35 seconds, seventh out of 13 in the long jump (6.13 meters), eighth out of 14 in the high jump (1.69 meters) and 13^th out of 15 in the shot put (8.20 meters). The event will conclude tomorrow with the 60-meter hurdles, the 1,000 meters and the pole vault. Matthews is the school record holder in the 60-meter hurdles (8.92 seconds).

UP NEXT
Day two of the YSU Mid Major Invitational takes place tomorrow.

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