EASTON, Mass. -- The Bentley University men's outdoor track team achieved season-best performances in eight events Friday night during the Stonehill Skyhawk Invitational, qualified for the New England Championships in two events and saw numerous PRs achieved.
The New England qualifying performances were achieved by senior Tim Walant (Nashua, N.H./ Nashua North HS) in the 110 meter hurdles and the 4x100 meter relay team of juniors Mike Vatti (Easton, Pa./Easton Area HS) and Steven Long (Allston/Newton North HS), sophomore Derek Sit (Wellesley/Wellesley HS) and freshman Eric Kennedy (West Hartford, Conn./Northwest Catholic HS).
The relay team was third of eight with a time of 43.31 seconds and Walant finished sixth of ten in 15.71 seconds.
Kennedy set a PR and moved to tenth on Bentley's all-time list in the 200 meters with a time of 22.43 seconds, and was also second of 14 in the 100 (11.14). Long's throw of 46 feet, 1.25 inches in the shot was an outdoor PR, the third best performance in the program's history and was good for fifth among 15 competitors. He was also 10th of 20 in the discus, making a throw of 123 feet, four inches.
Other team season-bests were achieved by senior Dan O'Connell (Medfield/Medfield HS) in the 1500 (9th of 38, 4:02.59), junior Dan Fava (Malden/Malden Catholic HS) in the 800 (6th of 27, 1:54.93), sophomore Grant Nolan (Concord, N.H./Concord HS) in the 400 hurdles (8th, 57.68) and senior Dave Kusmin (Westwood/Westwood HS) in the triple jump (44 feet, 11.5 inches). Kusmin's and Fava's performances were both PRs, with Kusmin's effort good for second on Bentley's all-time list and Fava placing him at number eight.
Kusmin was also sixth of 12 in the long jump, clearing 20 feet, 1.75 inches.
Bentley had three of the top eight in the 5000 meters, including a second-place finish by sophomore Craig Robinson (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough HS). He finished in 15:25.55. Junior Gabe Campbell (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury HS) was fourth in 15:36.69, and sophomore Sean Maguire (Essex, Vt./Essex HS) was eighth in 15:51.18.
Senior Marcus Chang (West Newton/Newton North HS) achieved a PR in the discus with his 125'5" good for seventh among 20 competitors. He was also eighth in the shot with a heave of 44 feet, 2.75 inches putting him sixth on the program's all-time list and shattering his previous career best throw by about three feet.
Sophomore Bryan Carton (Norwell/Norwell HS) also had a strong effort, finishing fifth of 29 in the 200 with his time of 22.67 a PR by more than a half-second.
Bentley was sixth of nine as a team, accumulating 71 points. Stonehill College won the meet, besting runner-up Northeastern 148.5-128.5.
On Sunday, some members of the team will travel to Providence, R.I. for the Brown Invitational.
