Men’s track and field move past injuries
Photo credit: Gettysburg College Athletics
By Andy Milone, Web Content Editor
The Gettysburg men’s track & field team competed this past Saturday at Widener University where they faced some top-line D1, D2 and D3 teams and sought to reach new levels even without some key contributors.
Senior captain Nathan Wojick was the top collegiate finisher in the 800 meter dash with a personal best of 1:54.34 and added to his resume with his first ever 200 meter dash in a time of 23.80.
“I was happy that I was able to run a fast time without making the fast heat and having people around me to chase. It bodes well going forward and I think that I can continue to drop my time. I have my sights set on nationals and this was definitely a step in the right direction,” said Wojick
Wojick has been durable all season and been the biggest standout performer since senior captain Ben Taber went down with an injury. Other senior captain Collin Bergey has also dealt with nagging injuries as well as a list of other notable performers: first-years Ezekiel Omosanya, Max Borchert and Evan Bertonazzi.
“We have really struggled with injury this season. Some of the guys are just working to come back now, which will help us out,” said Wojick. “Also, everyone has been putting in a lot of hard workouts, so I expect some guys to step up and have some big performances coming up.”
Omosanya ran at a high level on Saturday, despite the injury. He finished in the top eight in both the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash.
The field also demonstrated depth as both junior Willie Nolan and first-year Ken Barnes demonstrated strength in their respective events. Nolan took fifth in the pole vault, and Barnes took 11th in the long jump.
Sophomore Alex Petrecca competed the day before at the Bucknell Bison Classic where he put up a five second personal record in the 1500 with a time of 4:03.72. Joe Amado pushed his limit in the triple jump as he pushed across a respectable 39-9 3/4.
This upcoming weekend is the only home meet of the year for the Bullets. It’s the Gettysburg Mason Dixon Invitation during “Get Acquainted Weekend” which will spur some excitement, according to Wojick.
“The home invite always has a different feel to it. It’s definitely exciting performing in front of the home crowd and the hype,” said Wojick. “There’s an element of protecting our ‘house’ that hypes people up and allows them to perform even better. It’s always fun and I know our team is looking forward to it. “
Sophomore Mike Cortese will look to lead the throwers to a big weekend while junior Bobby Weisensee will look to have a big day in the 3000-meter steeple chase and improve upon his time in the 400 meter hurdles.
The home meet starts at 9:00 a.m. this Saturday where Bergey, Omosanya and many others will look past their injuries to create more momentum as the team nears the Centennial Conference Championships.
