Men's Track & Field Takes Sixth at ECAC Championships

WESTFIELD, Ma. – The Penn State Behrend men's track and field team finished in 6^th out of 53 (37.5) scoring teams in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships Thursday.

On Wednesday, Luke Patten (West Middlesex, PA/West Middlesex) got the Lions to a strong start by winning the pole vault title. He cleared the bar at a height of 4.97m (16' 3.5"), a new personal best.

Following Patten was Mitchell Obenrader (Fryburg, PA/North Clarion), who won the javelin with a distance of 62.13m (203' 10"). He also took fourth in the shot put (54' 3.25") and 16^th in the discus (133' 8").

Matt McWilliams (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) won, and set a new school record in, the 1500m, posting a time of 3:50.82. He also took 18^th in the 800m (1:56.15).

Cody Cornell (Conneaut Lake, PA/Conneaut Lake) also set a new school record. He set the record in the 800m, taking seventh with a time of 1:52.72. Dylan Buffington (Brookville, PA/Brookville) finished behind Cornell in the 800, placing 10^th in a personal-best time of 1:53.79.

Matthew Grafton (Worthington, PA/Kittanning) was the third Lion to break a school record. He broke the 400m hurdle record, posting a time of 54.89 to place ninth. Grafton also took 13^th in the 100m with a time of 15.27.

Kevin Gardner (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) had an All-ECAC finish, taking eighth in the high jump at a height of 1.96m (6' 5")

The few who qualified for the NCAA Championships will continue their season Thursday, May 26.