DEDHAM, Mass. – Senior Mike Vatti (Easton, Pa./Easton HS) led a strong overall performance by the Bentley University men's track and field team, which opened its outdoor season Saturday at the Solomon Track at the Northeastern University Spring Open.
Vatti was first amongst 41 entrants in the 200 meters, finishing in 22.50 seconds, and placed fifth out of 46 runners in the 100, with his time of 11.29 seconds a personal best and good for tenth on Bentley's all-time outdoor list.
In addition, he helped Bentley win the 4x100 relay in 44.33 seconds, combining with senior Steven Long (Newton/Newton North HS) and juniors Bryan Carton (Norwell/Norwell HS) and Derek Sit (Wellesley/Wellesley HS). Carton also placed seventh in the 200 with a time of 23.30.
Junior Curtis Trueb (Eastchester, N.Y/Eastchester HS) ran the outdoor 5,000 for the first time and placed second in a field of 31 in 15:14.63.
Sophomore Conor Higgins (Randolph, N.J./Randolph HS) and junior Rob Hennessy (North Andover, Mass./North Andover HS) both set outdoor PR's in the 800 meters. Higgins was third of 37 in 1:58.36 and Hennessy was sixth in 1:59.40.
Freshman Anthony Charter (Hubbardston/Quabbin Reg. HS) had a solid outdoor debut as a collegian. He was fifth of 18 in the long jump (20'6.5") and seventh of 14 in the triple jump (40'11"), with the latter good for tenth on Bentley's all-time list.
Other Falcons who placed in the top ten and the top third of their event were seniors Andy Gauthier (Dracut/Central Catholic HS) and Gabe Campbell (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury HS), and junior Craig Robinson (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough HS). Robinson was fifth of 33 in the 1500 (4:06.76), Campbell set a new personal best in the 10,000 while finishing eighth of 27 (32:51.08) and Gauthier was 10th of 30 in the 400 (52.08).
Bentley will have a split squad next weekend with a few competing in the Raleigh Relays and the remainder at the Tufts Snowflake Classic.
