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Falcons Post Nine NCAA Qualfiying Marks At Messiah Invitational
Senior Amy Reed set a new Starry Athletic Complex record in the heptathlon.

Grantham, PA — The Messiah College men’s and women’s track team turned in successful results at this weekend’s massive Messiah Invitational, as the Falcons’ women won the team event with 222 total points. Messiah’s men’s team finished second out of 19 competing schools with 143 points.

Messiah posted nine national qualifying marks in addition to a host of top 10 performances, as the three-day event was completed in mainly sunny and cool conditions.

Activities began Thursday afternoon with the multi-events, as the men opened with the decathlon and the women in the heptathlon. Senior Michael Dell and junior Jason Brown competed for Messiah in the former, finishing second and seventh, respectively. Dell’s 6,209 total decathlon points earned him provisional qualifying status to national competition, while Brown’s 5,085-point mark was the sixth-best result in Messiah history.

On the heptathlon side, Messiah was led by senior Amy Reed, as the javelin expert recorded 4,666 total points — a new Starry Athletic Complex record. Her point total equated to an automatic qualification for national competition, while junior Kristen Bates (second place overall, 4,290 points) hit the provisional qualifying mark.

When the complete array of track events began Friday night, the Falcons were ready, winning two events while setting a personal record in another. Junior Jennifer Kooser captured the 10,000-meter run in a time of 38:01.90, while sophomore Artie Black captured the win in the same event on the men’s side in a 33:43.14. Senior Nick Kipe finished a close second in the long jump with a clearance of 21 feet, 7 and ¼ inches, while sophomore Matt Wicks claimed a personal best in the discus — 116 feet, 10 inches — to qualify for the MAC Conference Championships in early May.

The Falcons then turned in strong performances in the 1,500-meter race — run under the Friday night lights — as sophomore Erin Rhodes finished third (4:58.53) while junior Sarah Evans finished fifth overall in a time of 5:07.81. Messiah’s men where strong in the event as well, with sophomore Eddy Palmer running a time of 4:03.86 — the 10th best time on Messiah's top 10 and first person to make that list since the 2005 season — followed by teammates Patrick Hager (senior) and Corey Kaufman (sophomore) with times of 4:07.84 and 5:08.99 in finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. Freshman Ryan Pastore also had a strong race in running a 4:11.93 time — a personal-best by substantial proportions.

When Saturday’s full day of events began, Messiah was again led by the usual suspects, as Bates won the 100-meter hurdles, the 400-intermediate hurdles and the high jump. Her 38 feet, 3 and ¼ inch effort in the triple jump was a Messiah program record, Starry Athletic Complex record and Messiah Invitational record, all while bettering her existing national provisional qualifying mark.

The Falcons finished one, two, four in the 100-meter hurdles, as Reed (:15.73) and junior Delilah Ruiz (:16.25) followed closely behind Bates (:14.70). Bates’ also set a new Messiah Invitational record in that event, improving her provisional national qualifying time as well.

Senior Rachel Hepkins won the 400-meter race as the only competitor with a sub-minute time (:58.62), while freshman Megan Sisson finished fourth. Freshman Grace Kaste brought in 10 more points by winning the 800-meter run in a time of 2:22.97, while Kooser came back after winning the 10k Friday to win Saturday’s 5,000-meter race in a time of 18:25.57.

Reed capped a successful afternoon by throwing yet another national qualifying mark while winning the javelin competition, launching the object 132 feet, 2 inches. Senior Sadie Sumner finished second, garnering a national provisional makr of 127 feet, 8 inches.

On the men’s side, junior Patrick Roach won the 400 in an amazing time of :47.70, setting a new school record while earning a national provisional qualifying mark. Roach also finished third in the 200-meter dash with a wind-aided time of :21.97, a clip just better than the non-wind-aided school record set in 2002. (That mark, by rule, still stands, however.)

Senior Nick Kipe improved his national qualifying effort in the triple jump, winning the event with a clearance of 46 feet, 4 inches. Sophomore Cory Kaufman won the steeplechase in a time of 10:16.91, followed by sophomore teammates Jeff Smeiles and Trevor Book. Freshman Caleb Shenk ran a strong personal best :57.01 time in the 400-intermediate hurdles to finish second, while sophomore Artie Black finished third in the 5,000 (16:37.00), sophomore Eddy Palmer third in the 800 (2:01.51) and sophomore A.J. Smith third in the javelin. Freshman Derek Forney recorded a personal best in the pole vault (11 feet, 11 and ¾ inches), finishing ninth overall.

Bridgewater College won the men’s team scoring, claiming 151 points to Messiah’s 143. Gettysburg College was second in line to Messiah on the women’s side, finishing with 158 points.

Messiah will take a brief hiatus before returning to the track for a mid-week event Tuesday, competing in the Elizabethtown Quadrangular.