Results

OBERLIN, Ohio – Allegheny finished fourth overall in the final team standings at the 2011 NCAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Gators netted another NCAA qualifying mark and totaled 10 All-Conference performances on the final day of competition, including three league citations by junior Taylor Throckmorton.

I don't want to say that it's ever ok to finish fourth in a meet, but I'm tremendously proud of how our men's team battled,” offered head coach Brent Wilkerson. Our guys stayed focused through the tough weather and the multiple delays, but we had so many bright spots that it's hard not to feel some sense of satisfaction for these guys.”

Throckmorton, who delivered a scintillating run in the prelims of the 400-meter run on Friday night, finished third in the championship final with a time of 49.07. Marc Funderlich, who was the only freshman to qualify for finals in the 400m, finished sixth in 50.26.

The junior speedster from Chagrin Falls, Ohio earned runner-up honors under calm conditions in the 200m (22.43) while anchoring the Gators' third place 4x400m relay team (3:22.90) that included Funderlich, Mike Vlah, and Matt Brush.

Vlah enjoyed a solid meet in his second year donning the Blue and Gold. He finished fourth overall in a tight 800m (1:56.31) and he also scored points with a sixth-place finish in the 1,500m with a personal record time of 3:58.50.

Allegheny boasted three scorers in the 1,500m, led by senior Jeramie Parker, who barely missed on a national qualifying mark. Parker closed second overall in the race behind an outstanding time of 3:54.91 while Tony Dipre, who has already earned his NCAA berth, finished fourth (3:57.78).

One of the biggest highlights on the final day of the conference championships was sophomore Bobby Over's NCAA-qualifying performance in the 3,000m steeplechase. Over improved on his existing school record while finishing third overall in an NCAA provisional time of 9:21.12. Brush added to the Gators' totals with a fifth-place effort in the event (9:36.85).

The Gators stood to gain a ton of points in the 5,000m, but a slow pace resulted in a bizarre finish even for the conference elite. Fresh off his victory in the 10k, Chris Marker paced the Allegheny attack with a second-place finish (15:06.22). Over finished fourth (15:10.26) and Dipre finished sixth (15:17.62) while senior Ryan Sullivan grabbed the last scoring spot with an eighth-place effort (15:19.44). Junior Pat McLaughlin established a new personal record en route to 10th overall (15:23.29).

“Our distance crew really dug deep for us,” added Wilkerson. “Chris (Marker), Ryan (Sullivan) and Pat (McLaughlin) laid it on the line by competing in a tough distance double. Marker was especially impressive and competed really hard. Bobby (Over) continues to develop. He has such a promising future and his attitude and leadership will be integral to our success moving forward. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the inspiring performance of Jeramie Parker. With Tony (Dipre) not feeling well, Parker really stepped up. Coming off a stress fracture and putting himself in position to qualify for nationals has been nothing short of impressive.”

In the field, junior Jacob Seigh delivered a sensational effort in securing his first All-Conference honor. Seigh manufactured a nice PR in the triple jump to finish second overall (42'1.25”). Other highlights for Allegheny included a fourth-place finish for rookie Cameron Day in the javelin (169') and a seventh-place finish for sophomore Michael Iacono in the 400 hurdles. Day cleared 50 meters for his last three throws while Iacono set a new PR.

“We obviously want to be better than fourth at the conference meet, but we can't hang our heads. With so many personal records from our underclassmen, the future of our program is bright. We need look no further than freshman Zach Filous, who became the first Allegheny field athlete in years to score at the NCAC meet. Our focus will shift as we get our guys ready to compete in the last chance meets, but despite everything, this was a great weekend for Allegheny track and field.”