Chen Sets School Record as Tartans Finish Second at Denison's Bob Shannon Invitational

(GRANVILLE, Ohio) - The Carnegie Mellon University men's track and field competed at the 10-team Bob Shannon Invitational on Saturday, February 7 held at Denison University and placed second.  The Tartans ended the day with 115 team points with Ohio Wesleyan University winning the invitational with 129 points.

Junior Jeff Chen (Pleasanton, Calif./Amador Valley) topped his previous school record time in the 60-meter dash and placed first after crossing in 7.06.  The junior, in his first collegiate race, earlier this season crossed in 7.09.

Senior Thomas Vandenberg (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) took first in the 800-meter run, as he improved his top University Athletic Association (UAA) time, crossing in 1:54.03.  Sophomore Nathan Willis (Philadelphia, Pa./Friends' Central School) also competed in the 800 and placed fourth with a personal-best time of 2:03.88.

Sophomore Owen Norley (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) won the mile run after crossing in 4:26.16 while freshman Joseph Pickens (Glenelg, Md./Glenelg Coventry) finished sixth with a season-best time of 4:39.24.

Sophomore Curtis Watro (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) was first in the 3,000-meter run, as he crossed the finish line in 8:56.55.  It marked the first time in his career that he competed in the event.  Also, earning points for the Tartans in the 3,000 was junior Grant Langevin (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton) (9:03.94), freshman Paul Fleming (Sharon, Mass.) (9:16.59) and freshman Andrew Bryan (Saratoga, Calif.) (9:18.23), as they finished fourth through sixth.

In the 5,000-meter run which started the running events for the day, sophomore Gordon Pace (Orlando, Fla./Trinity Prep) placed third with a time of 16:05.70.

Freshman Dylan Clarke (Orangeburg, N.Y./Tappan Zee) earned the team points with a fourth-place showing in the 400-meter race crossing in 53.21 while sophomore Matthew Sheh (Denver, Colo./Cherry Creek) finished sixth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.10.

In the final event of the day, the 4x400 relay team finished second with a time of 3:28.96.

In the pole vault freshman Kevin Wainczak (South Brunswick, N.J.) placed second after clearing 3.84 meters.  Fellow freshman Cameron Smith (Darien, Conn.) cleared 1.73 meters in the high jump to bring in third-place points.  Carnegie Mellon earned points in the long jump when juniors Brandon Hoane (Mount Kisco, N.Y./Horace Greeley) and Patrick Chang (Millbrae, Calif./Mills) recorded jumps of 12.13 meters and 11.74 meters, respectively, to place sixth and eighth.  Sophomore Matthew Seifu (Silver Spring, Md./Sidwell Friends) was sixth in the long jump with a mark of 6.06 meters.

In the shot put, freshman David Trzcinski (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) had a season-best toss of 13.60 meters which placed third.

Carnegie Mellon will be back on the track Saturday, February 14 when they compete at the Tiffin Dragon Open.