Records Fall for Syracuse Track

Friday, February 12

Boston, MAss.

TBA

Syracuse University

Boston Valentine Invitational

Colin Bennie passes Georgetown's Darren Fahy at the finish.

Photo by: Lucas Carter

2/12/2016 10:55:00 PM | Track and Field

Sophomore Colin Bennie broke a record that had stood for 33 years in the 5000-meters, and Justyn Knight set new school, meet and track records in the 3000-meters at the Iowa State Classic. At the same time in Boston, Kadejhia Sellers was breaking the Syracuse 200-meter dash record and Orange Alum Flings Owusu-Agyapong set the Ghana national record in the event.

Those records, plus a host of personal bests highlighted the first day of a fast weekend on the track for the Orange on Friday, which continued into Saturday when Adam Palamar and Joel Hubbard put up two-more sub-four minute miles.

Knight won his event at the Iowa State Invitational in a time of 7:48.71, breaking Martin Hehir's record from a year ago. Knight's time also is the fastest in the nation thus far in the event. The Vaughan, Ontario native now has the top-collegiate time in two different events this season after posting a 3:56.87 in the mile two weeks ago.

Bennie broke Jim O'Connell's record with a time of 13:38.81, that had stood since 1983. Bennie's time was good for third on Friday, with Virginia Tech's Thomas Curtin taking the win in 13:37.10. Bennie's time does currently serve as the nation's third-fastest time in the event this season.

Sellers continued the record-breaking streak with a fifth-place finish in the 200-meters (third among collegiate competitors), in 23.90 seconds at the Boston Valentine's Invite. She broke Bria Goodson's record from 2014 in the process. Owusu-Agyapong's time of 23.34 seconds earned her the Ghana national record just two heats prior to Sellers' school-record setting performance.

The tone of the weekend was set by the men's distance medley relay team of Nick Ryan, Pascal Bastein, Paul Lovell and Kevyn Hoyos winning the opening race with a time of 9:47.43. The time is the 19th-fastest in the nation thus far and best by any ACC school.

Saturday's highlight came in the men's mile, when Joel Hubbard and Adam Palamar - two of the three Orange runners to post sub-four minute miles this season - broke the barrier once again on Saturday, as they finished 1-2 in the event. Hubbard came away with the win (3:58.43), with Palamar right behind (3:58.98). Philo Germano turned in a personal best 4:01.13 in the event to come away with an 11th-place finish.

Danielle Delgado raced to a seventh-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing in 8.81 seconds, before posting a time of 8.12 in the 60-meter dash for 44th place later in the meet.

Brittany Belo finished 17th in the 400-meters, crossing the line in 56.35 seconds.

Sydney Leiher took 12th in the mile (4:39.14), ahead of teammate Karina Ernst (32nd/4:55.92).

Elizabeth Reynolds then set a personal best in the 800-meters, finishing the race in 2:13.76, which was good for 35th overall.

The Orange concluded the evening by stacking a number of personal bests in the women's 3k. Shaylyn Tuite (9:37.47), Shannon Malone (9:50.1), Mary Malone (9:53.3), Rebecca Skodis and Emily Nist all set personal bests.

Saturday's action got underway with the men's 60-meter hurdles, in which David Gilstrap led the way for the Orange, finishing sixth in 8.12 seconds. Paul Lovell then followed that with a 25th-place finish in the 800 meters (1:53.22).

In the triple jump, Pascal Bastein leaped to 14.01 meters to finish 10th.

The Orange contingent then closed the meet in the 3000-meters, with Kevyn Hoyos leading the way in 8:04.01, which was good for eighth. Mickey Burke (8:11.65) finished 16th, with Kevin James (8:19.39/32nd), Dan Lennon (8:21.35/35th), Juris Silenieks (8:23.31/37th) and Simon Smith (8:28.17/50th) all posting top-50 finishes to round out the meet.