33-Year-Old School Record Falls at Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA – For the second consecutive year, a member of the Manhattan College men's track & field team won an event at the Penn Relays on Friday.  And Mohamed Koita (Cergy, France) made history in the process.  He cleared 2.20 meters (seven feet, 2½ inches), breaking the school and meet record, to capture the men's Eastern high jump at 119^th edition of the historic meet from Franklin Field.

Koita tied Rich Alexander's 33-year-old school mark with a second-attempt clearance at 2.18 m (7'1¾), then broke the record by clearing 2.20 m on his third jump.  He also shattered the old meet record of 2.13 m (6'11¾), set by Richard Stockton's Paul Klemic in 2006.  With that leap, the 10^th-best in the East region and 12^th-best in the NCAA this season, Koita moved into a tie for 30^th place on the 2013 outdoor world list.

Also on Friday, Rokas Kirlys (Kamaji, Lithuania) took 18^th place in the men's Eastern shot put with a toss of 15.03 m (49'3¾).  Kirlys later finished 24^th in the men's college discus throw (46.25 m, 151'8).  Teammate Ian McGinnis, a Philadelphia native, was also in the competition, placing 25^th with a throw of 46.03 m (151'0).

The Jaspers conclude competition at the Penn Relays with participants in four events on Saturday.  Trevell Moxey (Lansdale, Pa.) will be in the men's Eastern triple jump, while Killian Barry (Dublin, Ireland) and Blerim Pocesta (Staten Island, N.Y.) are entered in the men's college hammer throw, and Phil Ragan (Belmar, N.J.) will contest the men's college hammer throw.  In addition, Brian McGovern (Yonkers, N.Y.) will participate in the men's championship pole vault, which will take place during the USA vs. The World portion of the meet that will be televised live on NBC from 1-3 p.m.