Amherst, MA --- Sophomore Matthew Begley (E. Bridgewater, MA) and freshman Daniel Ross (Foxboro, MA) each put up outstanding performances in the field to help lead the Worcester State outdoor men's track and field team to seventh place at the UMass Minutemen Spring Invitational on Saturday.
The Lancers recorded 61 points as the fourth-highest scoring Division III institution at the meet which featured competitions from all three divisions from the New York and New England regions. UMass Amherst won the meet with 125 points while UMass Dartmouth was the top DIII school with 73 points.
Begley had a toss of fourth in the javelin (53.59m/175-10) before he threw, fifth in the hammer throw (44.58m/146-03), eighth in the shot put (43.01.75) and 11th in the discus (38.37m/125-11).
Begley improved his distance from two weeks ago in the javelin at the Worcester City Meet as he moves closer the school record held by current jumps/sprints coach Mark Johnson while his hammer distance was good to qualify for the Division III New England Championships.
Daniel Ross cleared a height of 6-03.25 in the high jump for third place to stamp his ticket for the DIII New Englands.
Junior Harrison McCann (Rutland, MA) placed third in the hammer (46.09m/151-02) while freshman Jeremy Ross (Jefferson, MA) notched fifth in the javelin (52.20m/171-03). Sophomore Steve Fleming (Ludlow, MA) and junior Andrew Garcia (Brea, CA) both tied for fifth in the pole vault (3.90m/12-09.50).
Both Fleming and Jeremy Ross also qualified for the Division III New England's in their respective field events.
Freshman Duy Truong (Worcester, MA/Doherty) also had a solid day in four events that included fifth in the long jump (6.70m/21-11.75) and the 110 meter hurdles (15.95) while he was 13th in the triple jump (12.16m/39-10.75) and 200 (22.72). Truong added his name to the Division III New England qualifiers in the 110 meter hurdles, 200 and the triple jump.
The field was also paced by sophomore Jason Sliwoski (Leicester, MA) who placed seventh in the discus, junior Sebastian Bilenschuk (Mansfield, MA) who was eighth in the hammer (42.47m/139-04), freshman Terrence Gibson's (Rockland, MA) finish of eighth in the long jump (40.67m/133-05) and senior Nick Capone (Billerica, MA) who was ninth in the shot put (13.06m/42-10.25).
Freshman Stephen Gannon (Mansfield, MA) and sophomore Ramses Rafael (Lawrence, MA) rounded out the Lancer competitors who earned a spot at the DIII New England's with 11th (22.66) and 15th (22.75), respectively in the 200 meters. Gannon also had a season best time of 10th in the 400 (50.68) while Rafael followed with 18th (51.76).
Sophomore Kevin Maciel (Tewksbury, MA) placed fifth (55.95) in the 400 meter hurdles as junior Jon Parrella (Wilmington, MA) wasn't too far behind in eighth (56.74) and Sliwoski tacked on 11th (16.40) in the 110 meter hurdles.
In the 100, sophomore Luke Curtis (Dudley, MA) along with freshman classmates Matthew Alley (Milford, MA) and Shaun Corum (Billerica, MA) placed eighth (11.48), 14th (11.58) and 19th (11.67), respectively.
WSU will head North next week to compete at the Fitchburg State Invitational as a warm-up to the MASCAC/Alliance Championships in two weeks.