three win events at track opener

The Muhlenberg track and field teams combined for three wins at Kutztown’s Golden Bear Invitational, their first meet of the 2011 season.

Two of the top returning Mules on the men’s team posted impressive first-place finishes. Senior Bobby Torphy ran the third-fastest 3,000 in team history, winning by more than 22 seconds, and junior Peter Rice captured the 400 with a time that was a full second better than he ran at the same meet one year ago.

Torphy (left) also led the 4x800-meter relay team to a second-place finish, taking the baton for the second leg in last place and passing two runners to move up to second.

The third first-place finish was one of several strong debuts by freshmen on the women’s team. Nicole Cronin won the 1,000 meters with the fourth-fastest time by a Muhlenberg runner. She led a 1-2-3-5 Mule finish in that race, with senior Hannah Mitchell (second) and sophomore Erica Bash (third) running personal bests that landed them in the top 10 on the performance list.

Other freshmen who stood out for the women included Erin Saucier and Stephanie Carnevale. Saucier (right) became the third Mule female to clear 9-10 in the pole vault, and Carnevale qualified for the final in the 55-meter hurdles and also placed in the triple jump.
Click here for Muhlenberg placewinners.
Click here for complete results.
Click here for a photo gallery from the meet.