ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Freshman Trent Kraychir’s NCAA Regional Championship qualifying throw to win the hammer set the tone for the day as the Army men’s track and field team cruised to a 117-85 victory over Navy in the outdoor track and field Star Meet on Saturday in stormy conditions at Navy’s Ingram Field. Army claimed 12 of the 19 contested events.
Kraychir (hammer), junior Joe Nemeth (shot put), senior Archie Smith (long and triple jumps), sophomore Domonick Sylve (100-meter dash and 110-meter hurdles), sophomore Chris Michels (200-meter dash), junior Andy Ferrara (800-meter run), senior Jonathan Anderson (1500-meter run), freshman Taylor Kensy (400-meter hurdles), junior Kirk Chitwood (steeplechase) and the 4 x 100-meter relay team were all victorious.
The outdoor win completes a 2008-09 Star Meet sweep of cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field for the Army men. The 32-point margin of victory was the largest for Army since the present scoring system was adopted in 2000. Army swept the top-two scoring positions in six events.
Kraychir, who was named the Patriot League Male Rookie of the Week after previous two outings this season, had a personal best throw of 190 feet, 11 inches in the hammer throw to win the event and secure a place at the NCAA Regionals.
“The throwers had a huge day,” said the reigning Patriot League Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, Troy Engle. “His throw started the meet off with a great performance a.”
Junior Adam Schwartz completed a sweep of the top-two scoring positions in the hammer with a personal best throw of 184-8 to come up just short of the NCAA standard (186-4). His previous personal best was 175-11. Schwartz also set a personal best in the discus with a throw of 160-11 to place second. Bujewski was third in the same event with a throw of 160-2. Both discus throws were above the IC4A Championships qualifying standard.
Army took the top-three positions in the shot put. Nemeth led with a top mark of 49-5. Juniors Matt Nulk (48-7 ½) and Kurt Bujewski (48-1 ¼) took second and third, respectively.
Smith was a two-event winner as he led 1-2-3 Army sweeps of the horizontal jumps. The senior from Killeen, Texas won the long jump with a leap of 22-3 ¼ and the triple jump with a mark of 47-1 ½.
Sophomore Alfred McDaniel (22-3) and freshman Michael Hutchins (22-2 ¼) took second and third, respectively, in the long jump. Freshmen Tom Wagner (second, 45- ½) and Fred Beebe (third, 44-6 ¼) completed the sweep of the triple jump.
Sylve won the 100-meter dash in 11.33 seconds and the 110-meter hurdles in 14.77 seconds, and was also on the winning 4x100-meter relay team that won in 42.59.
“Sylve had a tremendously impressive day,” said Engle. “He came up big in the short dash, hurdles and relay.”
Army was dominant in the middle-distance events, sweeping the top-two scoring positions in both. Ferrara won the 800m in 1:51.25 and was followed by junior Andrew Tingan in 1:53.39. Anderson won the 1500m in 3:52.78 and was followed by sophomore Torre Santiago who finished in 3:53.68.
Anderson also ran the 5000m and placed second in 14:45.61
Sophomore Chris Michels had a great day, winning the 200-meter dash in 22.73 seconds and placing second in the 400m in 49.45.
Chitwood won the 3000-meter steeplechase in 9:26.10 and Kensy earned a win in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing in a collegiate-best 54.99.
Army now holds a 42-41 advantage over Navy outdoors all-time.
The Army track and field teams will next compete at the Larry Ellis Invitational hosted by Princeton on April 17-18.
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