The University of Pennsylvania Posts 2.5 Team Points from James Rhodes in the Pole Vault
June 5, 2024 –
The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field title meet began in Eugene, OR on Hayward Field. Competing in the meet were three runners from Villanova and two pole vaulters and a runner who wore the Red and Blue stripes of the University of Pennsylvania. Day One results showed two athletes advancing to the championship races. Penn got on the team scoreboard when James Rhodes tied for 6th in the Pole Vault final to get 2.5 team points for the Quakers.
Villanova 5000m runner Marco Langon will run in the final of his event on Friday.
Men’s 1500m
Liam Murphy entered his heat in the race with the fastest qualifying time of 3:38.30. He would face Anass Essayi of South Carolina again. As the race began Murphy settled in at fifth place after one lap. He would steadily move up into second place as the runners moved to the final lap. The Wildcat is known for his finishing kick and would need that as four runners were stretched out going towards the finish line. All of the runners knew they would advance as the top five finishers in each heat would move on. Murphy would cross the finish line first with a time of 3:39.68. He had the fastest split at the 700m mark of 1:02.18. Essayi finished second at 3:39.75; followed by Wes Porter of Virginia (3:39.88), Ethan Strand of North Carolina (3:39.93), and Iona’s Damien Dilcher (3:40.07). No runner from the heat qualified for the final by time.
In the second heat Charlie O’Donovan took to the starting line in a stacked field. O’Donovan was in the back of the pack in a very crowed group of runners. The race would stay that way for the Wildcat who would fade at the end of the race to finish in 12th place in 3:40.31. His season comes to an end.
The second heat had five automatic qualifiers and the two runners to advance on time. Elliott Cook of Oregon turned in the top time of 3:37.25. Adam Spencer, Wisconsin 3:37.32, Colin Shalman, Northern Arizona (3:37.43), Nathan Green, Washington (3:37.51), and Luke Houser, Washington (3:37.53) are automatic qualifiers. Ezekiel Rop of Iowa State and Joe Woskom of Washington advanced with time of 3:37.51 and 3:37.53.
Murphy covered the distance with the sixth fastest semifinal time.
Men’s 800m
Sean Dolan of Villanova advances to the final as a time qualifier running a time of 1:46.91. He finished fifth in the heat, but all of the three runners who qualified via time came from that heat.
Dolan ran splits of :51.30 and 55:61. After one lap the Wildcat moved to the outside and was in second place. In the last straightaway Dolan was passed by three other runners, and needed to wait for the third heat to find if he was running in the final.
Sam Whitmarsh of Texas A&M won the heat in 1:46.01, the fastest time in the qualifying rounds. Tarees Rhoden of Clemson ran a 1:46.18 to finish second. Kimer Farquharson (Texas A&M) and Nicholas Plant (Virginia Tech) also move on via fastest time along with Dolan running a 1:46.32 and 1:46.30.
Men’s 400m Hurdles
Ryan Matulonis represented Penn in the event running in heat two. Matulonis needed a sprint over the last turn and straightway to move up to fourth place running a 50.12. The Quaker did not advance as his time was just .19 seconds behind the final time qualifier Ja’Qualon Scott from Texas A&M. Nathaniel Ezekiel from Baylor won the heat in :48.93.
Caleb Dean of Texas Tech turned in the fastest time of the three heats equaling his personal best of 48.05. The top two runners from each heat advanced with the next three fastest times would make the final.
In the Field Events
Men’s Pole Vault
Team Points Registered for the Red and Blue.
Penn fielded two participants in the event. James Rhodes cleared 5.52m before missing all three attempts at 5.62m. Rhodes vaulted six times clearing the bar twice. He would finish tied for 6th place to earn Penn 2.5 team points.
Scott Toney, also wearing the Red and Blue, went over the bar at 5.37m. He would be eliminated at the next height. Toney got to those jumps by making his last attempt at 5.22m. Toney placed 13th overall.
Kentucky Pole Vaulter Keaton Daniel won the event posting a height of 5.67m.
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