Track & Field In Second Place at Mason Dixon Championships

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Penn State Behrend track & field team crowned two champions on the first day of the 2013 Mason-Dixon Outdoor Championships held at Christopher Newport University this weekend.

Denis Lydon (Plum, PA/Plum) and Catie Bertges (Erie, PA/Collegiate Academy) are conference champions in the 10K. Lydon beat 10 other runners to win in a time of 32:38.34 while Bertges crossed the line in 39:16.37 for the victory

On the men's side, the Lions are in second place with 25 points in four scored events. The women are also in second with 26 total points. The hosts, Christopher Newport, are in first place on both sides.

In addition to Lydon and Bertges, eight others earned all-conference honors of the day, finishing in the Top Six in their respective event.

Connor MacMannis (Stafford, VA/Kubeszki) and Kevin Gardner (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) were second and fourth, respectively, in the high jump for all-conference honors. MacMannis led with a height of 6-04.75 and Gardner hit the 6-00.75 mark.

April McDermott (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) was second in the hammer throw, getting her furthest distance on her first attempt with a 118-11 feet mark.

Jason Zabelsky (North Huntingdon, PA/Norwin) was named all-conference in 10K for taking sixth overall with a time of 34.09.76. For the women, Katie Patterson (Erie, PA/Villa Marie) and Katie Manno were also all-conference in the 10K. Patterson had a time of 44:08.34 for fourth place and Manno was in fifth overall in 44:23.29.

Corinne Conto (Bruin, PA/Karns City Area) and Geoff Faltot (Mercer, PA/Mercer) were all-conference in the long jump. Conto placed fifth, jumping 16-07 feet and Faltot went 20-06.25 for the same finish.