FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mountaineer Track Opens 2015 with Impressive Showing in Ohio
 
GENEVA, Ohio – Mountaineer track and field returned to action for the first time in 2015 on Saturday at the SPIRE North Coast Open.
 
The men's 4x400 relay team of Josh Tupper, Grant Nolan, Jake Portock and Jordan Boothe turned in a third place time 3:29.41.
 
Jesse Jones registered a personal best and hit a PSAC time in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:45.67 to finish 7^th overall. The senior bested his previous PR of 8:53.47 in the event set back in 2013.
 
Josh Tupper turned in an 11^th place finish in the 800-meter run at 2:00.43. The freshman was less than two seconds from hitting a PSAC mark. Fellow freshman Carson Ayers also had an 11^th place finish, crossing the line at 4:30.46 in the mile. Ayers finished second in his heat.
 
Melanie Hartley was three tenths of a second shy of a PSAC time in the 400-meter dash at 1:01.23 to place fourth. Hartley, a sophomore, was second in her heat and edged out the third place finisher by .06 seconds.
 
Distance specialist Destiny Foster won her heat in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:29.73 to finish sixth overall. Foster's time hit a PSAC mark and bested her previous PR of 10:53.91 in the event.
 
Allison Macon also won her heat in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:26.08 to finish 9^th in the field.
 
Jenna Hoefer led the Mountaineer throws with a 9^th place finish in the weight throw. Hoefer easily registered a PSAC mark with her toss of 13.39 meters. She was just shy of her personal best of 3.40m.
 
Alexandria Gallagher won her heat and took 11^th in the mile at 5:44.02.
 
Mansfield returns to action on Jan. 30-31 at the Bison Open & Multi hosted by Bucknell.