By Draven Dabrowski
Sports Writer
The university hosted the Wilton Wright Invitational on Friday, April 10 as both the track and field teams competed against other collegiate opponents. The Owls put together a strong showing in multiple event groups.
The men won the invitational, with 279.5 points. The women placed second behind Sacred Heart University, with 165 points.
“The weather is nice. Everyone’s out here. It’s great to be here,” Jalil Peña, a sophomore, said.
Across both meets, the university combined for 37 personal best performances.
Osaretin Osagie, a graduate, won both the 110-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles, while Max Musial, a junior, swept the 200-meter and 400-meter events.
The Owls took all five top spots in the 100-meter, with Peña finishing first.
They won both the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. The 4×100 team finished in 41.63 seconds, while the 4×400 group posted a time of 3:22.85.
In the field events, Oliver Guzy, a freshman, took first in the long jump with a mark of 7.22 meters, ranking among the top performers in Division II.
Trevor Dixon, a freshman, won the javelin, while Jayden Brown and Chris Amy, freshmen, each secured victories in the discus and shot put. The Owls continued to rack up points across events.
The women’s team matched that success with a strong performance.
Patrice Mansfield, a senior, led the way on the track, winning both the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. Both times were the best in the NE10.
Ella Maclean, a graduate, added another win in the 100-meter dash, while Avery Winters, a senior, claimed first in the 400-meter.
The university’s depth showed in the 200-meter, where multiple runners placed inside the top six, including several personal-best performances.
The Owls also found success in the relays, winning both the 4×100 and 4×400 events. The 4×100 team of Mansfield, Maclean, Winters and Amanda Castaldi, a senior, finished in 46.74 seconds while the 4×400 squad crossed in at the 4:08.64 mark.
In the field events, Deja Fitzpatrick-Bell, a sophomore, won the long jump with a personal-best mark that ranks among the top in Division II, while Celine Bozukluian, a senior, recorded a personal-best in the hammer throw to lead the conference.
Bozukluian, who now ranks 36th in Division II in the hammer throw, said the performance is a result of the work she has put in all season.
“I put a lot of work into this, and seeing the results is the best part,” Bozukluian said.
Bernardo Mbaya, an assistant coach for the women’s team, said Bozukluian’s performance was no surprise.
“She’s been working really hard, and this is what we expected from her,” Mbaya said.
