Yenchik Sets New School Record at SRU Open

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's and women's track & field team traveled to Slippery Rock to compete in the SRU Open for a one-day event.

For the women's team, Haley Yenchik (Cecil, PA/Canon McMillan) set a new Penn State Behrend school record in the pole vault, jumping at a height of 11'10" (3.61m) for sixth place.

In the 400m hurdles, Rachel Pell (Elizabeth, PA/Elizabeth Forward) took first place, running a winning time 1:10.00. Pell also competed in the 100m hurdles where she finished in third place with a time of 16.11.

Courtney Sargent (Erie, PA/Collegiate Academy) finished in fourth place in the 3000m steeplechase, running at a time of 12:36.18. She also competed in the 400m hurdles as well, crossing the finish line in 10^th place at 1:22.46.

In the field events, Myeisha Sanders (Erie, PA/Collegiate Academy) placed fourth in the discus throw, while also earning 10^th in both the shot put and hammer throw. She threw a distance of 32.96m in the discus, tossed 9.40m in the shot put, and ended with a final distance of 28.57m in the hammer throw.

For the men's squad, Greg Graf (South Park, PA/South Park) earned a third place finish in the 400m run with a time of 53.35. In the 800m, Colton Barger (Erie, PA/Collegiate Academy) took sixth, crossing the finish line at 2:04.23

Matt Michael (Erie, PA/Iroquois) took fourth and eighth in the shot put and discus throw, respectively. He threw a personal-best and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) distance 13.75m in the shot put, breaking the 45 foot barrier, and tossed a length of 37.20m in the discus event.

In the hammer throw, John LaRoche (Union City, PA/Seneca) and Michael finished in eighth and ninth place, respectively. LaRoche ended with a final distance of 38.59m, while Michael was not far behind with another personal-best toss of 37.94m.

Both the men and women's teams are back in action this Saturday at the Behrend Invitational. The meet is set to begin at 10 a.m.