Jasper Men Take Third at Metropolitan Championships

MAHWAH, N.J. – The Manhattan College men's outdoor track & field team entered Saturday's Metropolitan Championships at Ramapo College as the two-time defending champions.  The Jaspers came up just short of three-peating, though, finishing third as a team behind Fordham and Southern Connecticut State.  Manhattan's women, meanwhile, placed seventh as a team.

Tom Bechert (Munich, Germany) led the way on the men's side, scoring points in three different events.  Bechert won the pole vault with a leap of 4.90 meters (16 feet, ¾ inch) and qualified for the IC4A Championships with a second-place showing in the 110 meter hurdles (14.76).  He was also third in the long jump, leaping 6.89 m (22'7¼).

Mohamed Koita (Cergy, France), competing in his first track meet since high school after four years on the Manhattan men's basketball team, showed that he hasn't missed a beat.  Koita qualified for the IC4A Championships and NCAA East Regional in the high jump, clearing 2.09 m (6'10¼) to easily win the competition.  Mike Carroll (Nanuet, N.Y.) was third with a 1.99 m (6'6¼) clearance, and Matt Perrelli (Smithtown, N.Y.) took sixth with a leap of 1.84 m (6'0½).

In the discus throw, Ian McGinnis (Philadelphia, Pa.) took first place, uncorking a winning throw of 49.22 m (161'6).  Rokas Kirlys (Kamaji, Lithuania) was fourth (46.16 m, 151'5) while also capturing second place in the shot put (15.27 m, 50'1¼).  Killian Barry (Dublin, Ireland) led a 2-4-5 finish in the hammer throw.  His best effort was 53.09 m (174'2).  Blerim Pocesta (Staten Island, N.Y.) was fourth (49.46 m, 162'3) to go along with a sixth-place showing in the discus (43.29 m, 142'0), while Edward Brentnall (Atlanta, Ga.) secured fifth place in the hammer throw (49.20 m, 161'5).  Phil Ragan (Belmar, N.J.), meanwhile, took fourth in the javelin with a toss of 58.28 m (191'2).

On the track, the Jaspers were led by Mikael Rojeras (Sala, Sweden), who won the 1500 meters in 3:53.63.  Rojeras also finished fourth in the 800 meters (1:52.84), while teammate Greg Perrier (Dix Hills, N.Y.) took second in the race (1:52.55).  In the longest event on the track, the 10,000 meters, Stephen Chantry (Williamsburg, Va.) finished in fourth place with a time of 33:22.90.

Manhattan finished with 154.5 team points.  In a tight battle for the overall title, Fordham just edged out Southern Connecticut State 167-165.

The Jasper women's team also had several impressive efforts.  Milena Stoicev (Nis, Serbia) grabbed second place in the 1500 meters (4:40.74).  Doreen Horschig (Lumpzig, Germany), meanwhile, improved on her ECAC-qualifying time in the 100 meter hurdles, finishing second with a 14.18-second clocking into a headwind.  Horschig also finished third in the long jump (5.43 m, 17'9¾).

Ashley Bowman (Elmont, N.Y.) just missed qualifying for the ECAC Championships in the 200 meters.  She placed third overall in a time of 24.88 seconds.  Melissa Yap (Orchard Park, N.Y.) took third in the pole vault (3.27 m, 10'8¾), while Sarah Moore (Irvington, N.Y.) took fifth in the pole vault (3.12 m, 10'2¾) and eighth in the long jump (4.93 m, 16'2¼).  Alina Koenigs (Moenchengladbach, Germany) competed in four events, securing fifth place in the shot put (11.18 m, 36'8¼).

As a team, Manhattan earned 50 points in the women's competition.  St. John's won the Metropolitan title with 160 team points.