Dec. 1, 2012
HAVERFORD, Pa. - In the first meet of the indoor season Villanova won four different events at the Jack Pyrah Invitational, which the Wildcats hosted at Haverford College on Saturday afternoon. The four event victories came in the middle distance events (1000 meters and Mile), one relay (4x400) and one field event (pole vault). A total of 10 local teams competed at the meet.
Sophomore distance runner Dusty Solis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won the Mile with a personal best time of 4:16.04, lowering his previous top mark set last season (4:16.81) by more than three-quarters of a second. Villanova had four of the top five finishers and five of the top eight runners in the Mile. Sophomore Chris O'Sullivan (Havertown, Pa.) was two seconds behind Solis at the finish line and came in third (4:18.11), while junior Chris Pietrocarlo (Hampstead, N.H.) was fourth (4:21.11) and sophomore Charlie Bates (Hoboken, N.J.) fifth (4:21.47). Another second year runner, John Castillo (Mount Laurel, N.J.), placed eighth in the Mile with a time of 4:35.77.
In the 1000 meters junior Samuel Ellison (Dresher, Pa.) picked up a win for the Wildcats with a time of 2:30.61, while senior Andrew Golato (Springfield, Pa.) and junior Philip O'Connell (Rye, N.Y.) came in fourth and seventh, respectively. Ellison crossed the finish line more than a second ahead of the runner-up from La Salle to earn the win. Golato registered a time of 2:31.81 and O'Connell finished in 2:34.69.
Villanova fielded two entries in the 4x400 meter relay and both won their heat. The Wildcats "A" relay quartet had the fastest overall time out of 11 teams with a mark of 3:23.25, while the "B" entry for Villanova was fourth overall in 3:29.13.
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Sophomore Charlie Kido (Nampa, Idaho) provided a highlight for the Wildcats in the field events and won the pole vault. He cleared a height of 4.35 meters, which is his top mark in a Villanova uniform. Also competing well in the field events for the Wildcats was junior Drew King (New Haven, Conn.), who came in fifth in the weight throw with a new personal best distance of 13.59 meters.
The annual Jack Pyrah Invitational is a good chance for Villanova to evaluate where it stands at the beginning of the indoor season. This is the only meet before the holiday break for the team, which will return to action at the New York City Gotham Cup on Friday, January 11. That meet is the first of four competitions for the Wildcats at the New York Armory this season.
NOTES: The 10th annual Jack Pyrah Invitational was held in memory of longtime Wildcats coach Jack Pyrah ... A bench in his honor was dedicated on the track in Villanova Stadium in 2010 to celebrate the Jack Pyrah Memorial Fund reaching $100,000 in donations.
COMPLETE VILLANOVA RESULTS
60 Meter Hurdles
Aaron Sandifer 3rd of 7 8.83
60 Meters
Donald Urschel 2nd of 26 7.17 Kyle Chou tie-17th 7.45
500 Meters
Matt Whalen 8th of 20 1:08.78 Cory Serfoss 9th 1:08.84 Joseph Messick 10th 1:08.95
300 Meters
Donald Urschel 2nd of 38 35.70 Bryan Murphy 3rd 36.15 Kyle Chou 7th 36.71 Jake Stillings 8th 36.84 Aaron Sandifer 16th 37.69
1000 Meters
Samuel Ellison 1st of 18 2:30.61 Andrew Golato 4th 2:31.81 Philip O'Connell 7th 2:34.69
UNATTACHED VILLANOVA RUNNERS
Josh Lampron 5th of 18 2:32.18 Kieran Brennan 10th 2:36.44
Mile
Dusty Solis 1st of 12 4:16.04 Chris O'Sullivan 3rd 4:18.11 Chris Pietrocarlo 4th 4:21.11 Charlie Bates 5th 4:21.47 John Castillo 8th 4:35.77
4x400 Meter Relay
Villanova "A" 1st of 11 3:23.25 Villanova "B" 4th 3:29.13
Weight Throw
Chris McLeod 4th of 14 13.90m Drew King 5th 13.59m James Rowen 11th 10.95m
Long Jump
Elbert Maxwell 2nd of 9 7.05m Lazaro Tiant 3rd 6.53m Jason DiNardo 4th 6.15m
Pole Vault
Charlie Kido 1st of 7 4.35m
Shot Put
James Rowen 3rd of 10 12.73m
