Matthews Places Fifth In The Heptathlon At YSU Mid Major Invitational

1/28/2023 6:18:00 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 day two of the Youngstown State University Mid Major Invitational held today at Watson and Tressel Training Site on the YSU campus. Daemen competed in the event—which this year featured 39 schools from across all three NCAA classifications—for the first time in program history.

Graduate student Erik Matthews (Galway, N.Y.) completed competition in the seven-event heptathlon today. Matthews made history this weekend by becoming the first athlete from Daemen to participate in the heptathlon.

HIGHLIGHTS

Matthews took part in the pole vault, the 60-meter hurdles and the 1,000 meters today to complete the heptathlon. The event 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 school-record holder in the 60-meter hurdles (8.92 seconds), he placed sixth out of 14 today with a time of 9.16 seconds—which ranks as the seventh fastest time in the 60-meter hurdles in program history. He ran the 1,000 meters for the first time in his career and placed second out of 12 entrants with a time of 2.50.23. He capped the day and the event by placing 13^th out of 15 in the pole vault with a leap of 2.95 meters. Matthews accumulated 4,110 points over the seven events and placed fifth out of 14 entrants.
Senior Dominic Clementi (Barker, N.Y.) capped off a solid weekend by placing first among four Daemen runners and 37^th out of 99 total runners in the mile with a personal best time of 4:35.69. It marked just the second time in his career that he has run the mile (first since Dec. of 2019) and he knocked 32 seconds off his previous personal best (5:07.91). His time today ranks as the sixth fastest time in the mile in program history. He ran the 500 meters for just the second time in his career last night 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.
Junior Connor O'Brien (Hamburg, N.Y.), freshman Aiden Kincaid (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and sophomore Laertes Cushing (Alden, N.Y.) also took part in the mile. O'Brien placed 48^th (4:40.01), Kincaid placed 71^st (4:49.22) and Cushing finished 83^rd (5:03.05).
Daemen also had four runners in the 3,000 meters. Junior Jon Moote (Wilson, N.Y.) placed first among Daemen runners and 28^th out of 68 overall runners with a time of 9:07.62—just three seconds shy of his personal best time in the 3,000 at an indoor event (9:04.55). Junior David Schwinger (Buffalo, N.Y.) also posted the second-best time of his career in the 3,000 meters (9:50.80) and placed 56^th, while sophomore John Balch (Saranac, N.Y.) ran the 3,000 meters for just the second time and finished 63^rd with a personal best time (10:22.97). Senior Alexander Reynolds (Olean, N.Y.) posted a personal best time in the 3,000 at an indoor event (10:50.80) and placed 68th.
Senior John Bruggman (Batavia, N.Y.) finished first among five Daemen runners in the 800 meters and placed 51^st out of 93 runners overall with a time of 2:04.23. It ranks as his fastest time in the 800 meters at an indoor event. Junior Steven Blatto (Lancaster, N.Y.) posted a personal best time in the 800 and finished 60^th with a time of 2:06.41, while junior Phil Ceccarelli (Hamburg, N.Y.) came in just behind Blatto (2:07.20) and posted a personal best time in the 800 at an indoor event. Freshman Josh Trometer (Lancaster, N.Y.) also posted a personal best time (2:10.70) and placed 75^th, while sophomore Nolan Robillard (Hamburg, N.Y.) rounded out the Daemen runners in the 800 and placed 91^st (2:21.61).
Sophomore Hayden Grover (Alden, N.Y.) took part in the 60-meter hurdles and placed 43^rd with a time of 10.73 seconds.
Sophomore Tyler Divine (Hamburg, N.Y.) was the lone Daemen entrant in the high jump and placed ninth out of 18 entrants with a leap of 1.71 meters, which equals his personal best effort that he posted at the Highlander Invitational last weekend.
Juniors Hessen Bahgat (Fredonia, N.Y.) and Jake Carroll (Rochester, N.Y.) and sophomore Jake Elias (Depew, N.Y.) all took part in the shot put. Bahgat posted a personal best effort at an indoor event (10.58 meters) and placed 59th out of 74 entrants. Elias finished 62^nd (10.20 meters) and Carroll placed 63^rd (10.14 meters).
Daemen's 4x400 relay team of Clementi, Ceccarelli, Bruggman and sophomore Samir Laroussi (Clarence, N.Y.) placed 23rd out of 29 teams with a time of 3:42.72.

UP NEXT
Daemen returns to action next Saturday (Feb. 4) when it takes part in the Brockport Multi Invitational on the campus us SUNY Brockport.

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

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