April 26, 2014
GROVE CITY WINS TITLE!
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- For the first time since 2009, the Grove City College men's track and field team sits atop the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
The Wolverine thinclads captured the program's 18th all-time Presidents' Athletic Conference crown Saturday afternoon by accumulating 131 team points. Host Westminster finished second with 127.6 points and Waynesburg placed third with 104 points.
Grove City performers earned three victories at the two-day event. Senior Mark Talbott (Tallmadge, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) opened Saturday's competition by winning the 3000 steeplechase in 10 minutes, 0.85 seconds.
Freshman Nick Betz (Colorado Springs, Colo./Discovery Canyon) won the 110 hurdles in a school-record time of 14.79 seconds and junior Peter Christiansen (Frederick, Md./Broadfording Christian) prevailed in the 5000 (15:42.54).
Five Grove City athletes captured runner-up finishes at the championships. Betz took second in the 400 hurdles (54.91) while freshman Daniel Christiansen (Frederick, Md./Frederick) placed second in the 10,000 (32:54.42).
Senior Matt Mucha (Parma, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) placed second in the steeplechase with a time of 10:05.17 and classmate Arleigh McRae (East Brookfield, Mass./Whitinsville Christian) finished second in the 5000 (15:46.86).
Sophomore Tom Kocur (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) led Grove City's field performers by taking second in the high jump. Kocur cleared 6 feet.
Daniel Christiansen earned third in the 5000 (15:49.41) and senior John Green (Ligonier, Pa./Ligonier Valley) finished third in the 400 (49.30 seconds). McRae added a fourth-place finish in the 1500 (4:10.14). Senior Matt Logie (West Chester, Pa./Delaware County Christian) finished fourth in the 800 (1:58.48).
Betz, Green, freshman Ryan Buchalter (Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Springs Christian) and junior Ethan Witmer (North Lima, Ohio/South Range) closed the meet by finishing fourth in the 1600 relay (3:27.26). Their effort clinched Grove City's championship.
Sophomore Dane Mossgrove (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) finished fourth in the 400 hurdles (58.32), one spot ahead of Green (58.38). Sophomore Brandon Ward (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory) took fifth in the 110 hurdles with a time of 16.68 seconds. Peter Christiansen captured fifth in the 1500 (4:10.75).
Fourth-year head coach Todd Gibson earned the conference's Coach of the Year award.
Grove City will host an invitational at Robert E. Thorn Field Friday afternoon.
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