CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Sophomores
Elliott Graves (Reidsville, N.C./Rockingham Early College) and
Jalen Virgil (Lawrenceville, Ga./Mountain View), freshman
Ben Cignarale (Greer, S.C./Riverside) and the 4x100-meter relay team won their respective events to lead the Appalachian State men's track and field team at the Charlotte Invitational on Saturday.
Graves captured the 110-meter hurdles in a career-best time of 14.39 seconds, which was .12 better than the next closest athlete. Graves also notched a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles in 54.79 seconds.
Virgil, who was running in his first race since high school, won the 100-meter dash in 10.40 seconds His time also ranks as the fourth fastest time in the event in school history and also sits third in the Sun Belt.
Cignarale crossed first in a PR time of 15:32.76 in the 5,000-meter run. Freshman
Luke Bennett (Durham, N.C./Voyager Academy) placed fifth with a time of 16:01.74.
Virgil also teamed up with sophomore
Jabari Johnson (Yokosuka, Japan/Nile C. Kinnick), freshman
Brenton Ervin (Charlotte, N.C./Mallard Creek) and freshman
De'Shawn Ballard (Wilmington, N.C./Laney) for a first-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay in 40.76 seconds.
The Apps saw senior
Ryan Hastings (Matthews, N.C./Porter Ridge) and
Jabari Johnson both set new PR's in the 400-meter dash. Hastings finished second in 47.08 seconds and Johnson was 10
th in 49.38 seconds. Hastings' mark is also the fourth fastest time in the event in program history.
Ervin also was fourth in the 100-meter dash in 10.74.
Junior
Brandon Smith (Fayetteville, N.C./Douglas Byrd) was third in the 400-meters in 53.71 seconds and also sixth in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.91 seconds.
Hastings, Graves,
Jabari Johnson and Smith teamed up for a second-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay in 3:16.25.
The discus saw sophomore
Peter Kenn (Clemmons, N.C./West Forsyth) record a fifth-place finish with a PR toss of 156-0 and sophomore
Michael Albert (Buchanan, Va./James River) finish seventh with a mark of 143-9.
Sophomore
Jackson Widener (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day) was third in the pole vault, clearing 14-9.00.
The Black and Gold placed four in the top-10 in the high jump. Sophomore
Jordan Dale (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford) placed third with a mark of 6-8.00, senior
Nick Hinton (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) was fifth with a height of 6-6.00, sophomore
Andrew Underal (Yakinville, N.C./West Forsyth) finished sixth with a PR height of 6-6.00 and senior
Hampton Harvin (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando) was ninth with a height of 6-4.00.
In the 1,500-meter run, freshman
Gable Dershem (Clyaton, N.C./Cleveland) finished eighth in 4:01.73. Senior
Collin Loy (Burlington, N.C./Southern Almance) was 10
th in the event in 4:03.01 and freshman
Zachary Mercer (Mooresville, N.C./Morresville Senior) finished right behind in 11
th-place in a new PR time of 4:03.84.
Sophomore
Nic Botett (Dayton, N.J./South Brunswick) recorded an eighth-place finish in the shot put with a mark of 45-11.75.
In the 800-meter run, sophomore
Sean Doyle (Rutherfordton, N.C./Polk Country) recorded a new PR with a fifth-place finish in 1:56.28. Sophomore
John Fravel (Roswell, Ga./Milton) also crossed 10
th in the event in 1:58.35.
On Friday, Kenn recorded a new PR in the hammer with a toss of 162-10. freshman
Evan Hardin (Alworth, Ga./Carl Harrison) was sixth with a mark of 145-02, Albert placed seventh with a PR mark of 142-10 and Botett finished 12th with a season-best mark of 121-08.
In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, sophomore
Lawson Benfield (Apex, N.C./Apex) was fourth with a PR time of 9:26.06 and senior
Evan Georges(Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) finished right behind in fifth, with a new PR mark of 9:28.02.
Sophomore
Michael Flanagan (Landenberg, Pa./Tatnall School) clocked a new PR in the 1,500-meter run, crossing the finish line in 3:56.73.
App State will compete again on Friday and Saturday at the Duke Invitational.
