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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's track and field team recorded nine Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference automatic qualifying marks, one NCAA provisional mark and seven event wins at the SRU Invitational Thursday at the William Lennox Track on The Rock's campus.
 
The event marked the final home meet of the season for Slippery Rock and the final home collegiate meet in the career of SRU head coach John Papa, who will retire in June after 35 years in charge of The Rock program.
 
Slippery Rock battled unseasonably cold temperatures and windy and rainy conditions throughout the day, but came away with seven event wins in a meet that featured athletes from 13 different colleges.
 
The headliner of the day was John Eakin, who won the shot put with an NCAA provisional toss of 16.96 meters. Joshua Gose took second with a PSAC mark of 16.26 meters, just off the NCAA standard of 16.67 meters.
 
SRU also went 1-2 with a pair of PSAC marks in the long jump with Gavin Thomas winning the event with a season-best leap of 6.99 meters and Mason Reed taking second with a leap of 6.66 meters to round out the PSAC marks in the field.
 
AJ Virata recorded a pair of PSAC marks on the track with a win in the 200-meter dash in 21.83 seconds and a runner-up showing in the 100-meter dash in 10.92 seconds. Virata also anchored home the winning 4x400-meter relay, where he was joined by Cade Adams, Cade Gratzmiller and Marcus Pruy to post a time of 3:28.03. Adams also scored his own individual win with a first place showing in the 400-meter hurdles in 58.01 seconds, just off the PSAC automatic standard of 58.00 seconds.
 
Brenden Lewis won the 110-meter hurdles to give SRU a sweep in the hurdle events. He clocked a time of 15.28 seconds. Jason Goodman took second, also with a PSAC mark, in 15.48 seconds.
 
The final PSAC mark of the day belonged to Benjamin Buckless, who returned to racing after missing time with an injury. He took fourth in the 5,000-meter run in 15:38.92, kicking in just under the PSAC qualifying time of 15:40.
 
The final event win for SRU came in the 800-meter run, where Troy Hart took the victory in 2:01.95 after also placing third in the 1,500-meter run in 4:08.75.
 
Slippery Rock will send a small group of hammer throwers to Penn State Behrend Sunday to compete in the Behrend Invitational, while the rest of the team shifts its focus to back-to-back meets at West Virginia University the next two weekends.
 
A look at all of SRU's qualifying marks and top-five finishers from Thursday is below.
 
TOP FIVE FINISHES AND QUALIFYING MARKS
100-Meter Dash
2. AJ Virata – 10.92 (PSAC auto)
5. Parker Reed – 11.21
 
200-Meter Dash
1. AJ Virata – 21.83 (PSAC auto)
4. Jonathan Marfisi – 22.57
5. Parker Reed – 22.65
 
400-Meter Dash
4. Marcus Pruy – 52.21
 
800-Meter Run
1. Troy Hart – 2:01.95
 
1,500-Meter Run
3. Troy Hart – 4:08.75
 
5,000-Meter Run
4. Benjamin Buckless – 15:38.92 (PSAC auto)
 
110-Meter Hurdles
1. Brenden Lewis – 15.28 (PSAC auto)
2. Jason Goodman – 15.48 (PSAC auto)
4. Dalton Anderson – 16.35
 
400-Meter Hurdles
1. Cade Adams – 58.01
4. Cade Gratzmiller – 58.87
 
3,000-Meter Steeplechase
3. Nathan Eadie – 10:39.19
5. Noah Johnson – 10:53.70
 
4x400-Meter Relay – 3:28.03
1. Cade Adams, Cade Gratzmiller, Marcus Pruy, AJ Virata
 
Long Jump
1. Gavin Thomas – 6.99m (PSAC auto)
2. Mason Reed – 6.66m (PSAC auto)
 
Shot Put
1. John Eakin – 16.96m (NCAA provisional)
2. Joshua Gose – 16.26m (PSAC auto)
4. Eric Schulz – 13.75m
 
Discus Throw
4. Joshua Gose – 42.31m
5. Eric Schulz – 42.02m
 
Javelin
5. James Amodei – 50.25m
 

 
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