FAIRFAX, VA – The Johns Hopkins men's track and field team turned in an outstanding showing on Friday at the Patriot Games, hosted by George Mason University, recording some of the fastest times in Division III this season while competing against a field that included Division I programs. Day one was highlighted by senior
Matthew Kelly, who led the Blue Jays' distance group with an impressive performance.
Kelly paced a deep Hopkins contingent in the 5000m, as the Blue Jays placed eight athletes among the top 25 finishers, underscoring why the group is ranked second nationally in the latest USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings. Kelly finished second overall and was the first Division III runner to cross the line, posting a personal-best time of 14:32.04. His performance ranks fifth all-time in program history and stands as the 15
th-fastest time in the nation this season.
Hopkins continued to pile up nationally competitive marks throughout the race.
Nick Pham placed fifth with a personal-best 14:54.87, the 35
th-fastest time in the country this season.
Aakash Iyer followed in 11
th with a personal-best 15:06.35 (57
th nationally), while
Eli Merritt finished 13
th with a personal-best 15:16.35, ranking 72
nd in the nation.
Jake Abert placed 15
th with a time of 15:21.92 (84
th nationally) and
Vaughn Decker finished 17
th in 15:25.20, the 97
th-fastest mark this season.
Lance Nicholls (18
th | 15:27.95) and
Joey Souverein (24
th | 15:40.63 | PR) rounded out the Blue Jays' eight top-25 finishes.
In the heptathlon, Johns Hopkins was represented by
Sebastian Tangelson,
Wech Ring and
Alexander Williams. After four events, Tangelson sits in third place with 2,529 points, Ring is fifth with 2,354 points and Williams currently stands 10
th with 1,857 points.
Tangelson recorded his top finish of the day in the shot put, placing second with a personal-best throw of 12.19 meters (40-0). Ring's strongest performances came in the high jump (1.77m | 5-9.75) and the long jump (6.35m | 20-10), where he placed third in both events. Williams posted his best results in the 60m (7.31) and the shot put (10.93m | 35-10.5), earning fourth place in each.
Johns Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, January 31, to conclude competition at the Patriot Games. Events at the George Mason Field House are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.
