Pittsburgh, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's outdoor track & field team hosted its lone meet of the 2011 campaign Saturday with the Bennie Benson Memorial Invitational at the RMU Island Sports Center.
Eight different Colonials garnered individual championships in a meet that included fellow Northeast Conference opponents Long Island and Saint Francis (Pa.) and Buffalo, West Liberty and Seton Hill.
Senior Charles Gladman (Philadelphia, Pa. / Cardinal Dougherty) won the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.13 seconds, while freshman Jermaine Dwight (Wyncote, Pa. / Cheltenham Township) claimed gold in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.32, outlasting Douglas Hannon of Buffalo (51.11).
Also in the track events, senior John Uccellini (Indiana, Pa. / Indiana) posted a season-best time of 58.32 in the 400-intermediate hurdles to finish first, while freshman Kyle Locklin (Export, Pa. / Franklin Regional) finished second with a time of 1:00.23.
In the jumps, senior Chris Spataro (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland) won the individual title in the pole vault, while sophomore Lance Washington (East Stroudsburg, Pa. / Stroudsburg) finished first in the triple jump.
Spataro finished with a leap of 4.35 meters (14'3.25") to finish to claim gold.
Washington's final tally of 13.76 meters (45'1.75") marked a season-high leap and outdistanced Eugene Kennedy of Buffalo, who finished at 13.70 meters (44'11.50").
A pair of Colonials also won individual championships in the throws, as sophomore Charles Thurner-Diaz (Camp Hill, Pa. / Camp Hill) won the shot put thanks to a thow of 14.69 meters (48'2.50"), while sophomore Michael Feldbauer (Saint Mary's, Pa. / Saint Mary's Area) finished first in the javelin with a toss of 48.40 meters (158'09").
Thurner-Diaz also finished third in the hammer throw and fourth in the discus. In the hammer he posted a mark of 43.06 meters (141'03") while finishing with a throw of 42.10 meters (138'01") in the discus.
In other highlights for Robert Morris, senior T.J. Green (Stamford, Conn. / Milford Academy) finished second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.28 seconds, while freshman Mitchell Preske (Windsor, Ohio / Grand Valley) posted a leap of 1.95 meters (6'4.75") to finish second in the high jump.
RMU returns to action Saturday, April 16, with the VCU Invitational in Richmond, Va.
