University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Akron Quad
Panther Men Take Second in Akron Quad
1/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Jan. 14, 2006
AKRON, Ohio - The Panther men are already showing signs of improvement. Last season they finished third in this competition, and this year they moved up in the ranks to second, defeating Big East competitor Seton Hall by 68 points. Akron finished first in the meet with 157 total points.
Senior Troy Roberson (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) finished first in the 400 meters for the Panthers with a personal-best time of 48.02. Sophomore Mike Wray (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) brought another victory to the Panther men with a first-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing with a time of 8.05.
Several distance runners came forward to put the Panthers on the scoreboard. Junior Tim Konoval (Parry Sound, Ontario/Central Connecticut State) finished first in the mile with a time of 4:13.39. Pitt finished first and second in the 3,000 meters with Sam Bair (Shaler, Pa./Shaler Area) and Curtis Larimer (Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer). Bair ran for a time of 8:34.67, and Larimer finished at 8:46.58.
In the field events, junior Justin Clickett (Union City, Pa./Union City Area) led the way with a first-place finish in the shot put and a throw of 17.16 meters. Sophomore A.J. Kielinski (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic) turned in a strong second-place performance in the weight throw with a career-high mark of 16.35 meters. In the pole vault, sophomore Keith Higham (Carlisle, England/Trinity Carlisle) set a new school record with a vault of 5.16 meters. Higham currently holds both the indoor and outdoor records.
Other strong performances came from senior Chris Anderson (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township), freshman Eric Jones (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) and the 1,600-meter relay. Chris Anderson placed third in the 60 meters with a 6.98 and second in the 200 meters with a time of 22.02. Eric Jones finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 13.71 meters. Jones was able to qualify for the Big East Championships in his first collegiate competition. The men's 1,600-meter relay finished third overall with a time of 3:19.48. The relay team consisted of Kareem Cousar (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic), Anderson, Sam Perkins (Kent, Ohio/Kent Roosevelt) and Roberson.
Several Panthers qualified for the Big East Championships. These student-athletes include: Chris Anderson, Sam Bair, Justin Clickett, Kareem Cousar, Keith Higham, Eric Jones, A.J. Kielinski, Sam Perkins, Troy Roberson, Ed Ruiz and Mike Wray.
The Panthers' next competition will be January 27-28 at the Penn State National Open.
