PHILADELPHIA - On the final day of the 118th Penn Relays at Franklin Field on Saturday, Anastas Papazov (Balchik, Bulgaria) made Manhattan College track & field history. Papazov won the men's hammer throw Championship of America, becoming the first freshman in program history to win an individual event at the Penn Relays. He's the Jaspers' first Penn Relays champion since Milan Jotanovic won the men's shot put in 2009.
Seeded second in the field, Papazov uncorked a throw of 63.47 meters (208 feet, two inches). His mark was equaled by York's Daniel Novia, but Papazov was awarded the victory because of a better second throw.
Elsewhere at the Penn Relays on Saturday, the Jaspers qualified for the IC4A Championships in the 4 x 800 meter relay. The quartet of Mikael Rojeras (Sala, Sweden), Greg Perrier (Dix Hills, N.Y.), Nick Italiano (New York, N.Y.) and Kevin D'Emic (Rockaway Point, N.Y.) finished second in its heat and ninth overall in the college division in a time of 7:37.76. In addition, Phil Ragan (Belmar, N.J.) placed eighth in the men's college javelin (60.50 m, 198'5). Rounding out Manhattan's contingent at the Penn Relays were Edward Brentnall (Atlanta, Ga.), who finished 12th in the college division of the men's hammer throw (53.24 m, 174'8), and Trevell Moxey (Lansdale, Pa.), who took 19th in the men's Eastern triple jump (13.48 m, 44'2¾).
Those who didn't compete at the Penn Relays traveled to Ewing, N.J., for the Lions Invitational on Saturday. Dan Duffy (Monroe, N.Y.) won the men's long jump at that meet, recording a best mark of 6.76 m (22'2¼). In the men's pole vault, Yardley Keshinover (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) captured second place with a clearance of 4.35 m (14'3¼). Salim Corbin (Patterson, N.J.) took fourth in the 800 meters (1:55.89), while Mike Carroll (Nanuet, N.Y.) was sixth in the high jump (1.95 m, 6'4¾) and seventh in the 100 meter hurdles (15.88).
Among the Manhattan women, Sarah Moore (Irvington, N.Y.) contested four different events, including the pole vault, in which she finished third (3.30 m, 10'10). Ieva Vitola (Jekabpils, Latvia), who ran on the Jaspers' 4 x 200 meter relay squad at the Penn Relays on Friday, grabbed sixth place in both the 100 (12.64) and 200 (25.62) at the Lions Invitational. In addition, Doreen Horschig (Lumpzig, Germany) placed fourth in the 100 meter hurdles (14.79) and ninth in the high jump (1.51 m, 4'11).
The Jaspers now have a week to prepare for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships, which get underway next Saturday at Rider University. For the first time in the meet's history, Manhattan doesn't enter the MAAC Championships as the defending champion on either the men's or women's side. Both squads finished second in 2011.