Manhattan University Athletics

New York, N.Y. (January 5, 2007)--In its first competition of the New Year, Manhattan Track and Field saw both the old and the new thrive at the Fordham Invitational on Friday evening at the 168^th Street Armory.  While veterans such as Zoran Loncar and Nick Newman continued their success, newcomers Seid Mujanovic and Milos Vuckovic started their Manhattan careers in promising fashion.

Loncar, a senior thrower, won the meet's weight throw with an IC4A qualifying mark of 17.80m.  Finishing second to Loncar, who is a native of Serbia, was fellow countryman Seid Mujanovic.  Competing in his first meet as a Jasper, Mujanovic recorded a throw of 16.95m to set a new personal record and qualify the freshman for the IC4A Championships.  Also wearing the Kelly Green and White for the first time was distance runner Milos Vuckovic, who also hails from Serbia.  Vuckovic won the men's mile by clocking in at 4:14.37, a time that meets the IC4A qualifying standard.

Coming off a career best performance at the Manhattan Opener on December 1, Newman, a senior jumper, won the long jump crown on Friday night with a leap of 7.24m.  Joining Newman as field event winners at the meet were 2006 NCAA All-American shot putter Milan Jotanovic, 2006 MAAC High Jump champion Chris Sole, 2006 ECAC Triple Jump champion Tiina Magi, and Jasper sophomore Kosta Randjic.

Jotanovic won his signature event by putting the shot 17.55m, an IC4A qualifying mark.  Sole claimed first place in the high jump by clearing 2.06m, a mark that will send him back to the IC4A Championships, where he earned All-East honors last year.  Randjic and Magi won the men's and women's triple jump, respectively, and both Jaspers qualified for the IC4A/ECAC Championships in the process.  Randjic, who is coming off of a wrist injury that cut short his 2006 outdoor season, showed his is returning to his old form by jumping 14.78m.  Magi, who reset the school record on several occasions last year, recorded a top mark of 12.30m.

In addition to Vuckovic, a number of other newcomers made their presence felt on the track.  Freshman Diane Torsell, who won the MAAC Track and Field Female Performer of the Week award for her efforts back in early December, claimed third place in the 200m with a time of 25.65s.  Torsell also took fourth in the 60m dash by clocking in at 7.91s.

Fellow freshman Mary Consiglio highlighted the Manhattan women's performances in the distance events by taking third in the 1000m with a time of 3:04.78, which qualifies her for the Metropolitan Championships.  Senior Megan Radermacher, who is also in her first year of competition as a Jasper after completing her undergraduate degree at Michigan State University, also qualified for the Metropolitan Championships as the runner-up in the 800m run with a time of 2:18.26. 

Junior Joe McElhoney also posted a top-three finish by taking third in the men's 3K with a Met qualifying time of 8:53.00.

Other Jaspers qualifying for the Mets were freshman pole vaulter Alexandra MacDougall, junior Erin Gregorek (women's 500m), and senior Darnell Douglas (men's 500m).