MANSFIELD – Less than 24 hours after earning All-PSAC honors in the men's 10K, Ryan Clifford continued his heroics with a claiming the top spot in the 3K-steeplechase at Maxon track on Friday afternoon.
The day started with Caden Fisher competing in the men's 110-meter hurdles. Fisher claimed a new PR at 16.01 seconds. Nicholas Auchenbach followed Fisher, taking part in both the men's 400-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles.
Auchenbach was solid in both events, narrowly missing a new PR in the 400-meter dash at 50.13 seconds to finished 11th overall. In the hurdles, Auchenbach finished at 56.90 seconds, just missing the qualifying time cutoff of 55.52 seconds to finished 11th in that event as well.
Kenzie Jones had a performance to remember in the women's 3K-steeplechase, compiling a fifth place finish in a field of 23 runners. Jones time of 11:44.07 was good enough for a new PR and four points towards Mansfield's team total.
Clifford followed fellow senior Jones and had one thing on his mind, first place. The top overall seed coming into the event, he would not relinquish his lead for all seven laps. Coming down the home stretch, Clifford only grew stronger and lengthened his lead as he claimed the PSAC 3K-steeplechase championship in front of the hometown, Mansfield crowd.
Championship Saturday now awaits the Mountaineers, who will lead things off with Lyndsey Payne taking part in the 1,500-meter run at 12:45 p.m. Payne will be the 12th seed with her season best time of 4:55.09 she hit at the Millersville Metrics.
Reining PSAC champion Hunter Watkins will look to defend his title in the men's javelin throw at 1:00 p.m. Watkins has had a stellar season thus far, hitting a new PR and program record at 67.48-meters at the Bison Open earlier this season. Watkins currently owns the top throw in the PSAC and the fifth best in all of Division ll.
The Mountaineers will send the quartet of Mamadue Diallo, Travis Keefe, Ryan Morrissette, and Jordan Holmes to take part in the men's 4x800-meter relay at 2:10 p.m.
Jones will return to action tomorrow at 2:55 p.m. when she takes part in the women's 5K. The senior is seeded ninth after recording an 18:33.09 finish at Bucknell earlier this season.
Quincy Amabile and Clifford will round things out for Mansfield in the men's portion of the 5K. Clifford enters as the top overall seed in the event while Amabile is seeded eigth.
All of the action on championship Saturday can be viewed live on Mountie All-Access presented by Visit Potter-Tioga at GoMounties.com/Watch with live results available through Leone Timing. Visit Championship Central for coverage links, schedule of events, entry lists, campus map/parking, and the participating teams.
