The Elizabethtown College men’s and women’s track team traveled to the University of Maryland for the Terrapin Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 17 to start off 2015. Both teams had members finish on the top 10 list including first-years Mitch Schlegel and Kelsey Bentz and sophomore Kelsey Detweiler.
Competition was at a high-level for the Blue Jays as they faced multiple Division I opponents, but this fact did not change Etown’s ability to reach victories. Upperclassmen and underclassmen alike earned recognition in several events throughout the day.
For the men, Schlegel performed a tenth of a second faster than his best time in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.45, compared to running a 7.55 at the Bow Tie Classic, the first meet of the season that occurred on Dec. 6. This improvement in time earned Schlegel sixth place on the all-time list for the program. In addition to competing in the 60-meter race, Schlegel placed first in his section of the 200-meter with a time of 23.91 and participated in one of Etown’s teams in the 4×400-meter relay.
After recovering from an injury that occurred at the end of the Etown cross country season, junior Zach Trama was key to Etown’s success. He was the top finisher for Etown. In the 3,000-meter run, Trama ran an 8:45.55 to claim second place. This time earned Trama the fifth-fastest time in the men’s track and field program’s history. He trailed American University’s Tom Woermer who finished in 8:42.42. Trama also ran in a group for Etown in the 4×400-meter relay.
“Individually, I was pleased with my race,” Trama said. “Usually, the first race of the season is a bit of a shock to the body, but I think I was able to perform well regardless.”
Senior Dan Gresh finished fourth in the 5,000-meter run at 15:38.85. Sophomore Max Mahan also earned a fourth place finish after jumping a 1.88m in the high jump. The only thrower to compete for the Blue Jays at the Invitational was senior Andrew Khela. He reached the finals of the weight throw with a distance of 12.65m and finished sixth.
The women’s team also represented Etown well in the Prince George Sports & Learning Complex. Detweiler and Bentz both ran in the 300-meter dash, finishing second and third, respectively. Detweiler completed in a time of 46.06 and Bentz finished in 50.84.
Senior Amelia Tearnan competed in the mile with a time of 5:24.95 to clinch fourth place. Graduate student Eileen Cody followed right behind in fifth at 5:25.06. Tearnan finished 12th overall and Cody was 13th.
Many runners found success within their heats of certain events. Sophomore Alexis Groce was victorious in her heat of the 800-meter run with a time of 2:36.34. In the next heat of the same event, senior Ashley Underkofler crossed the finish line in third place at 2:35.92. Sophomore Amy Gessler was the first to finish in her heat of the 3,000-meter run at 11:23.71.
“As a team, we had some very promising performances, especially from our underclassmen,” Trama said. “Everybody knows that there is still plenty of work to do, but we’re one step closer towards earning our first triple crown in the Landmark Conference.”
The Blue Jays look ahead to Friday, Feb. 23 for the Collegeville Classic, to be held at Ursinus College at 3 p.m.
