Susquehanna Finishes Close Second at Landmark Men's Outdoor Championships
Click here for a reaction from the conclusion of the meet by co-Track Athlete of the Year Paul Thistle.
SELINSGROVE, Pa. -- The Susquehanna University men's track & field team finished in second place out of six teams at the 2010 Landmark Conference outdoor championships, held at Susquehanna's Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium from May 1-2.
Moravian College won the team title with a score of 270 points, just six more than SU. Juniata College finished in third place with 168 points, followed by the United States Merchant Marine Academy (39), Goucher College (36) and The Catholic University of America (27).
The top two finishers in each event earn all-Landmark status. The individual- and relay-event champions are first-team all-conference honorees, while the runners-up are second-teamers.
Senior Paul Thistle (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon), who won one event on Day One, added a pair of first-place finishes on Day Two on his way to a Landmark co-Track Athlete of the Year award.
Thistle topped a field of 23 athletes on Day Two in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 15 minutes, 23.43 seconds, and beat 12 other runners in the 3,000 steeplechase with a 10:09.46 time.
Teammate and junior Robert Steffen (New Castle, Del/Caravel Academy) finished as the runner-up in the steeplechase with a time of 10:11.79.
Thistle was the Landmark's indoor Track Athlete of the Year this school year as well.
Sophomore Joe Zamadics (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) was another individual second-place finisher for the Crusaders on Day Two, completing the 800 in 1:54.74, better than 13 runners.
Zamadics also ran the anchor leg of a 1,600 relay that finished first out of six schools with a 3:24.74 time. Fellow sophomores Brian Campbell (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South), Chance King (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) and Ben Wilson (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville) ran the first three legs of that relay, respectively.
Teammate and fellow sophomore Graham Huber (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area), competing in his only meet of the 2010 outdoor season, placed first out of 13 competitors in the high jump with a height of 1.93 meters (6 feet, 4 inches).
Freshman Ken Schetroma (Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia Area) was SU's other event champion on Day Two, besting a field of 15 throwers in the shot put with a distance of 14.58 meters (47 feet, 10 inches).
Teammate and fellow freshman Kyle Place (Gilbertsville, Pa./Hill) placed second in the shot put with a mark of 12.81 meters (42 feet, 0 1/2 inches).
SU's senior Josh Simpson (North Braddock, Pa./Woodland Hills) placed second in both the 100 and 200 dashes with times of 10.91 and 22.37 seconds, respectively.
Junior David Haklar (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) was another all-Landmark performer on Day Two for the Crusaders, running a 33:27.87 time in the 10,000, good for second out of 13 athletes.
Susquehanna sophomore Chad Shultz (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro Area) earned a second-place finish as well, topping four athletes in the decathlon with a total of 4,384 points.
Next Meet: Saturday, May 8, at LHU Qualifier (Lock Haven), 10 a.m.
