Wildcats Win Five Events at Jack Pyrah Invitational

Frank Anuszewski is a double winner in the weight throw and shot put

Frank Anuszewski established career bests in both the weight throw and the shot put en route to winning both events at the Jack Pyrah Invitational on Friday evening.

Dec. 3, 2011

Complete Results

HAVERFORD, Pa. - Villanova opened the 2011-12 indoor season by hosting the ninth annual Jack Pyrah Invitational at Haverford College on Friday night, where the Wildcats won five events in the meet. There was no team scoring in the season opener, in which senior thrower Frank Anuszewski (Pottstown, Pa.) was a double winner in the weight throw and the shot put. Villanova also scored wins in the 1000 meters, 3000 meters and pole vault.

Anuszewski established new personal bests in both of his events and also set a meet record in the weight throw with a toss of 18.69 meters. That mark eclipsed the previous record held since 2005 by a former Wildcat, Robert McDade. It was also the first time that Anuszewski has surpassed 18 meters in collegiate competition. In the shot put, Anuszewski finished first out of 14 competitors with a career-best distance of 15.14 meters.

Sophomore Chris Dougherty (Cherry Hill, N.J.) added a third win in the field events for Villanova by finishing first in the pole vault with a height of 4.40 meters. He cleared heights of 4.25 meters and 4.40 meters on his third and final tries to come out ahead of freshman teammate Charlie Kido (Nampa Idaho), who made his collegiate debut with a second-place finish and a height of 4.25 meters.

In the running events the Wildcats scored wins from sophomores Samuel Ellison (Dresher, Pa.) and Greg Morrin (Hockessin, Del.) in the 1000 meters and the 3000 meters, respectively. Ellison led a 1-2-3 finish for Villanova in the 1000 meters when he crossed the finish line with a time of 2:33.80. Redshirt freshman Dusty Solis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was the runner-up in 2:35.30 and junior Joseph Capecci (New Hope, Pa.) finished third (2:35.50).

Morrin registered a winning time of 8:40.31 in the 3000 meters and beat out redshirt freshman Brian Basili (South Orange, N.J.) and the rest of the field of 18 runners. Basili finished second in 8:45.28.

Four runners finished in the top eight in the Mile for the Wildcats, with senior Brian Tetreault (Cinnaminson, N.J.) coming in second with a time of 4:15.84. He was followed in short order by junior Joseph LoRusso (Oak Hill, Va.) in third place (4:16.51) and redshirt freshman Chris Pietrocarlo (Hampstead, N.H.) finishing fourth (4:21.14). Redshirt freshman Richie Bohny (Holmdel, N.J.) placed eighth (4:31.36).

Freshman jumper Elbert Maxwell (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had a strong Villanova debut with a second place finish in the long jump. He and the winner of the event, Kelly Cadeu (unattached), each registered a jump of 7.23 meters and that surpassed the previous meet record of 7.11 meters set two years ago by an athlete from Temple.

There is a great deal of young talent on the Wildcats roster this season and of the 20 athletes that competed for Villanova on Friday night 12 are in their first or second year of collegiate eligibility. That group of a dozen underclassmen features six who made their Wildcat debuts in tonight's meet, which was a good opportunity for the entire team to see where it stands entering an upcoming break for final exams and the holiday season.

Villanova is next in action at the NYC Gotham Cup on January 13 at the New York Armory.

NOTES: The ninth 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 just over a year ago to celebrate the Jack Pyrah Memorial Fund reaching $100,000 in donations.

UNATTACHED RUNNERS: Freshmen Robert Hurlbut (Rochester, N.Y.) and Charlie Bates (Hoboken, N.J.) competed in the meet as unattached entries ... Hurlbut finished ninth in the Mile and 18th in the 3000 meters, while Bates came in 16th in the Mile.

COMPLETE VILLANOVA RESULTS

300 Meters

David Stillings               20th of 37               38.25
Cory Serfoss                  21st                     38.30
Matt Whalen                   23rd                     38.50

1000 Meters

Samuel Ellison                1st of 10                2:33.80
Dusty Solis                   2nd                      2:35.30
Joseph Capecci                3rd                      2:35.50

Mile

Brian Tetreault               2nd of 25                4:15.84
Joseph LoRusso                3rd                      4:16.51
Chris Pietrocarlo             4th                      4:21.14
Richie Bohny                  8th                      4:31.36

3000 Meters

Greg Morrin                   1st of 18                8:40.31
Brian Basili                  2nd                      8:45.28

4x400 Meter Relay

Villanova `A'                 2nd of 12                3:26.34

Weight Throw

Frank Anuszewski              1st of 11                18.69m (Meet Record)
Christopher McLeod            3rd                      14.38m
Billy Berrigan                7th                      13.01m

Long Jump

Elbert Maxwell                2nd of 10                7.23m (Meet Record)
Lazaro Tiant                  4th                      6.37m

Pole Vault

Chris Dougherty               1st of 7                 4.40m
Charlie Kido                  2nd                      4.25m

Shot Put

Frank Anuszewski              1st of 14                15.14m

Triple Jump

George Bodziock               5th of 8                 12.92m

UNATTACHED RUNNERS (VILLANOVA)

Mile

Robert Hurlbut                9th of 25                4:31.48
Charlie Bates                 16th                     4:40.34

3000 Meters

Robert Hurlbut                18th of 18               10:32.25

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