Two Win Races at the Al Hall Freedom Games

(EDINBORO, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University men's track and field team opened its 2015 season competing at the unscored Al Hall Freedom Games hosted at Edinboro University amongst colleges from Divisions II and III on Saturday, January 17.  

Junior Jeff Chen (Pleasanton, Calif./Amador Valley), competing in his first collegiate race, crossed the line of the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.09 seconds, topping sophomore Andrew Chang's (Fairfax, Va./W.T. Woodson) school record time of 7.11 set last season at the Ohio State Tune-up.

Senior Thomas Vandenberg (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) took first place in the 800-meter run with a time 1:54.94 while freshman Evan Larrick (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville North) crossed three seconds behind with a time of 1:59.95 to place fifth. Vandenberg and Larrick later teamed with junior Marc-Daniel Julien (Skokie, Ill./Niles West) and sophomore Owen Norley (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) to place third in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:26.28.

Senior George Degen (Madison, Wis./West) led the Tartans with a first-place finish in the 3000-meter run with a time of 8:51.67.  Finishing just behind him in third and fourth were sophomore Ryan Archer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian Academy) and senior Joe Pane (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny).  The two crossed with times of 8:59.11 and 9:02.55, respectively.

Degan also placed second in the mile run, as the senior finished with a personal-best time of 4:20.50.  Julien also competed in the mile run and crossed with a time of 4:27.69 to place fifth.  To closeout the running events, the distant medley relay team of seniors Eamon Cullinane (Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet) and Elliot Watson (Lebanon, Ohio/Miami Valley School) along with juniors Curtis Watro (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) and Thomas Mayo-Smith (Rye, N.Y.) finished fourth with a time of 11:04.83.

The Tartans will next compete at the Denison Lid-Lifter on January 24 in Granville, Ohio.