SELINSGROVE, Pa.- The Juniata men's track and field team concluded the indoor portion with a pair of podiums and several personal records at the Landmark Indoor Track and Field Championships. Barrett Walters finished third in the weight throw, while Lincoln Riddle claimed bronze in the 400-meter race. As a team, the Eagles finished the day in sixth place with a one-spot improvement and 17 more points than were earned at the 2022 indoor championships.
Barrett Walters threw 14.96 meters on his final indoor attempt at the weight throw with Juniata for a 3rd place showing in the event. Walters threw 0.64 meters farther than his previous-best mark set at F&M's Blue-and-White Invitational in February. It's not only a new personal record for Walters, but it also moves him to the second-best throw in program history.
Lincoln Riddle's 400-meter time of 51.90 gave him a podium spot for the third consecutive meet and a new personal record by 0.67 seconds off his time at last week's SU Tuneup. The freshman also set a historic program record in addition to setting a personal record. A time of 51.90 moves him to third place in program history for the event.
The Eagles competed in other track events, including the 4x200-meter relay, the 4x400-meter relay, the 60-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and the 5000-meter race.
The team of John Redos, Riddle, Caleb Massare, and Zion Gomez was the quartet that competed in both relays. The group set the program's best time of the year in the 4x200-meter relay with a time of 1:38.26 to finish in fourth place. They also logged a 3:58.29 in the 4x400-meter race.
Gomez competed in the 60-meter dash, finishing in 13th place with a time of 7.59. It's his best time of 2022-23, following a 7.61 at the Franklin & Marshall Blue-and-White Invitational earlier this month.
Massare and Redos each competed in the 200-meter dash. Redos set a new personal record, competing in the race in 24.01 for a 15th-place effort. He previously set a 24.17 at the F&M Blue-and-White Invitational. Massare was 0.03 seconds off his personal record set last week at the SU Tuneup as he finished in 16th place with a time of 24.72.
Ellis Kline also set a new personal record in the 5000-meter race. He finished in 18:15.05 for a 20th-place result.
In addition to Walters' attempt in the weight throw, two others competed in the weight throw while two Eagles took to the shot put.
Brenden Nauman threw 11.60 meters to finish in 12th place. Luke Bittner hit a mark of 8.80 meters to finish in the 21st position.
Redos and Bittner each competed in the shot put. Redos led the way for Juniata with a 9.56-meter mark, while Luke Bittner registered his second-best throw of the season with an 8.84 mark to finish in 22nd.
It's less than a month until the first outdoor track and field meet for the Eagles. Juniata begins the outside leg at the Susquehanna-hosted Jim Taylor Invitational on March 24th and 25th.
