Sun Angel Classic Results
Mesa Challenge Results
TEMPE, Ariz. – It was quite a day for Love Litzell (Ostersund, Sweden) in the Valley of the Sun on Friday. He competed in the hammer throw in a pair of meets and won them both, taking first place at the Sun Angel Classic from Arizona State University in the afternoon before returning for the Mesa Classic at night and recording another victory.
At the Sun Angel Classic, Litzell and Blerim Pocesta (Staten Island, N.Y.) both competed in the premiere section. Litzell had the three furthest throws of the competition, including his winning effort of 64.66 meters (212 feet, two inches). The last time Manhattan participated in the meet was 1990, when the Jaspers' Gerry Ryan, the brother of current Assistant Coach Joe Ryan, won the hammer throw.
Pocesta, meanwhile, got out to a personal-best distance of 61.26 m (201'0), which was good for third place. With that mark, he became the 25th different Manhattan hammer thrower to break the 200-foot barrier in Head Coach Dan Mecca's tenure. In addition, Pocesta moved into a position where he will likely qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the event.
The Mesa Challenge was held at Mesa Community College. Litzell was entered in the invitational hammer throw and slightly improved on his mark from Arizona State. His best effort on Friday night was 64.86 m (212'9).
Also at the Mesa Challenge, Clement Gicquel (Rennes, France) grabbed fifth place in the javelin with a toss of 52.28 m (171'6).
Competition concludes at the Sun Angel Classic for a handful of Jaspers at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday. Most of the squad will instead be in action at the Rider Invitational, which gets underway at 11 a.m.
