Taylor Hockman (L)
BEAVER FALLS, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men’s track & field team finished as the runner-up, while the women claimed third place at the 2012 Presidents’ Athletic Conference Track & Field Championships hosted by Geneva on Saturday.
Westminster ran away with the men’s title, totaling 180 points. W&J was second with 129 followed by Grove City (99), Waynesburg (88), Bethany (56), Thiel (54), St. Vincent (47), Thomas More (45) and Geneva (40).
The Titans completed the team sweep by racking up 173.5 points on the women’s side. Waynesburg was second (133.50), while W&J (118), Grove City (103), Geneva (70), Thomas More (50), Bethany (33) and Thiel (14) rounded out the field.
The W&J men claimed six individual titles, while the Presidents’ women’s team took home four first-place finishes.
Freshman Kristen Galligan (Frederick, Md./Governor Thomas Johnson) was a triple victor to pace the women’s squad. Galligan, who was named the PAC Track MVP, claimed a trio of distance titles that included the 1,500 (4:51.38), 5,000 (18:16.25) and 10,000-meter (38.36.13) runs.
Sophomore Meghan Poinsett (Salem, N.J./Salem) earned the fourth first-place showing by running to victory in the 400-meter hurdles (1:07.34).
Senior C.J. Corcoran (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) and sophomore Cheyenne Mangold (Boerne, Texas/Texas Military Institute) both claimed a pair of runner-up finishes. Corcoran was second in the javelin throw with a top toss of 39.95 meters and Mangold sped to second in the 400m dash (58.98) The duo teamed with Poinsett and sophomore Laura Lee (Spartansburg, Pa./Titusville) for a runner-up showing the 4x100 relay (49.70).
Taking third in the pole vault was freshman Danielle Debonis (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) with a leap of 3.10 meters, while sophomore Erin Oberg (Beaver Falls, Pa./Riverside) posted a top leap of 1.48 meters in the high jump for third place.
Senior Tierney Risley (Nassau, N.Y./Columbia) ran to third in the 100m hurdles (16.27) and fifth in the 400m hurdles (1:10.72).
Junior Scott Ryan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville East) successfully defended a pair of titles and was honored as the PAC Track & Field Overall MVP as he completed a Presidents’ sweep in the 10,000 (31:46.81) and 5,000-meter (15:21.62) runs. Ryan also was narrowly edged in the 1,500m (4:01.44) and took second.
Senior Taylor Hockman (Martinsburg, W. Va./Hedgesville) also defended his championships in both the triple jump (13.62m) and long jump (6.72m) for the second consecutive year and was selected as the PAC Field MVP. Senior Greg French (Buffalo, N.Y./Williamsville East) added a first-place crown in the 110-meter hurdles (16.02) and a second-place showing the 400m hurdles (56.51). French also took sixth with a leap of 12.55m in the triple jump.
Hockman triple jump champion form
Junior Gavin Donathan (Hurricane, W. Va./Hurricane) recorded a first-place showing in the shot put with a throw of 14.60m.
Junior Benjamin Kopchick (Clarksburg, Pa./Saltsburg) ran to a runner-up finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:14.18), while sophomore Jared Jones (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) sped to second in the 200m dash (22.89).