Men’s Track and Field Opens Official Season
Matt Robinson (Photo David Sinclair / Gettysburg College Athletics)
By John Zak, Staff Writer
The Gettysburg College Men’s Track and Field team competed Saturday at the John Covert Classic hosted by Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
This track meet was the second of the Men’s Track and Field team’s still young season as no score was kept in this match. The meet consisted of an encounter between numerous division I, II, and III teams, including schools such as meet host Lehigh University, Montclair State University, and Muhlenberg College.
Junior Matt Robinson gave a notable performance for the Bullets. Robinson posted a 4:36.7 for the one mile run, which placed him 14th out of the 60 runners that spanned four heats. Robinson also placed 4th out of 12 runners in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:41.25, just seconds away from the school record.
Robinson’s performance in the one mile run and 1,000-meter run were the top individual performances for the Bullets.
Sophomore Ezekiel Omosanya also had a strong performance in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.28 seconds. Omosanya finished 18th out of 65 runners in the race.
Sophomore Orrin Wilson added a 9th out of 28-runner finish in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.75 seconds. Wilson also delivered an impressive performance in the 60-meter hurdles, recording a timing of 9.6 seconds and advancing to the number eight all-time time placement for Gettysburg College. Wilson knocked an entire second off last year’s personal best in the competition.
The Men’s Track and Field team also had senior Thomas Clark in the 60-meter dash. Clark finished with a time of 10.45 seconds as he rounded off the Gettysburg racers in this category.
In the 500-meter dash, first-year Joel Stennett posted a time of 1:12.34 minutes along with senior Robert Weisensee finishing in a time of 1:16.24 minutes.
In the 200-meter race, three members of the Men’s Track and Field team competed. First-year Cael O’Brien clocked a time of 25.88 seconds while sophomore Dylan O’Neil timed in at 25.90 seconds.
First-year Matt Simmers made his second semester debut in the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.21 seconds.
In the last individual competition of the day, the 3000-meter race, two Bullets competed.
First-year Connor Berson rank his first collegiate track race in a time of 9:48.67 minutes, while senior Harry Thoman finished in 11:02.7 minutes.
Now that the men’s track and field team has completed its first competition with the whole team in tow, the Bullets look to make improvements on an individual and team level in the last four weeks of the season.
“I feel as though I did well in my event, like many other of my teammates, but still have much room for improvement,” said first-year Johnny Kovaks. “The key is to keep working hard in practice and keep a positive attitude.”
Kovacs competed in the 60-meter dash and, with a time of 7.46 seconds, placed 33rd out of the 65 runners.
“Overall I feel very confidant in our team’s abilities this season,” said Kovaks. “We have put up some good times and marks so far, but we shouldn’t be content just yet. If we continue to work hard in practice everyday, it will show in our performance in the next matches and the conference meet in February. The rest of the season should be a great one.”
Making a special appearance this weekend was Gettysburg alum Nathan Wojick. Graduating last year, Wojick returned to the track as an unattached athlete to win the 800-meter run in a time of 1:57.67.
The Bullets will have their next chance to meet Centennial Conference qualifying times and distances at the Dickinson Ducharme Classic hosted by Dickinson College Saturday, February 3rd.
