By Rachael Cataldo, Asst. Sports Editor
The Susquehanna men and women’s track and field teams traveled to Towson, Md. on Saturday, April 6 to compete against several NCAA Division I and Division II teams in the Towson Invitational.
On the women’s team, junior runner Katherine Mayer and junior runner Emily Eck placed sixth and seventh, respectively in the steeplechase. Mayer and Eck’s times of 12:43.21 and 12:48.43 rank them at seventh and eighth in the Landmark Conference.
“It is always a little daunting racing against Division I and II athletes because there is always this idea that they will be so much faster than you,” Mayer said. “It’s nice to have other athletes push the pace because it forces you to get out of the comfort zone so many runners just want to stay in while racing.”
“My race on Saturday was a real confidence booster for me because my performance reminded me that I’m capable of getting out of my comfort zone and reminded me how to really work for those PRs.”
Sophomore pole vaulter and 2019 Landmark Indoor Champion Ryleigh Edmonds opened her outdoor reason after suffering from an injury with a 2.80-meter jump, which places her at second in the conference.
Sophomore multi Sara Arbogast anchored the 4×400 relay with sophomore runner Kate Ross, junior runner Alexa Pietrini, and sophomore runner Marissa Kleman to a conference-leading time of 4:09.60.
“Seeing our progression from the beginning of the year until now just shows how much work we’ve put in,” Ross said. “I’m so proud of this group.”
Arbogast also leads the conference in the 100 meter, 200 meter, long jump and triple jump.
“A team goal this season would be moving up in the final standings at Landmark Championships,” Mayer said. “We came in third during indoor [season] and were only a couple points off from taking second place away from Elizabethtown.”
On the men’s team, the River Hawks tied for ninth place with 31 points. The top River Hawk was junior thrower Robert Marks, who won the javelin with a 54.16-meter throw. Marks is currently ranked second in the conference and 12th in the nation in the javelin event.
“Sitting first in the conference is always a good feeling, but I’m still hungry for that All-American title,” Marks said. “There are still a lot of meets left; anything could happen. Beating some of the Division I and Division II schools just shows me all the hard work I’ve been putting in is showing.”
Freshman pole vaulter Keefer Goodspeed placed third in the pole vault event with his personal best of 4.10 meter. Goodspeed is tied for first place in the conference.
Junior runner Brandon Sorge recorded a personal best of 10:36.62 to place fourth in the steeple chase and in sixth in the conference.
Junior thrower Dylan Heisey also recorded his personal best by over six feet for an eighth-place finish in the discus throw.
Heisey threw for 42.48 meter to sit at second in the conference and qualify for the All-Atlantic Regional meet in late May.
Both the men and women’s track and field teams return to action at noon on Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14 at the Bison Outdoor Classic in Lewisburg, Pa.