This weekend, the Binghamton University men’s track team split to participate in two separate meets. The Bearcats finished second at the Army 5-Way Outdoor Meet on Saturday, and though Friday’s Bison Outdoor Classic at Bucknell University was a non-scoring event, four Bearcats qualified for the IC4A Championship.
Competing against the United States Military Academy at West Point, Columbia University, Saint Francis University and Colgate University at the Army 5-Way Outdoor Meet, the Bearcats finished with 141 points. Host Army finished in first with 252 points.
“We wanted to do well as a team, not just score points,” Binghamton head coach Mike Thompson said. “Our main objective was to continue prepping for our conference meet.”
Six individuals placed first in their events for Binghamton. Most notably, junior Adam Helman, who finished first in pole vault with a height of 15-9, qualified for the IC4A Championship.
Four more Bearcats qualified for the IC4A Championship while competing at the Bison Outdoor Classic, bringing the total number of qualifying athletes for the men’s team to 14. Freshman Jesse Garn, who placed first in the 800 with a time of 1:49.16, set a new school record and qualified for the IC4A. Graduate student Erik van Ingen and juniors Vasili Papastrat and Jason Santos also qualified for the IC4A.
“The distance runners had an excellent day,” Thompson said. “It went as well as we could have hoped.”
Following the team’s strong weekend performance, Binghamton is scheduled next to compete in the Upstate Challenge on Saturday at the University at Buffalo.