Chester, PA (May 4, 2024) - The DeSales University men's track & field finished third place overall in the MAC Outdoor Championships at Widener University with 90 points.

It was the highest team finish at the outdoor track championship since 2021. The Bulldogs trailed Lebanon Valley College, who ran away with a 162-point victory, and fell just short of an upset bid against host Widener University, who finished with 101 points.

Beginning the final day of competition in the javelin throw, sophomore Dane Watson finished seventh overall with a throw of 48.60m, securing two points for the squad.

Then in the triple jump, senior Xavier Phoenix took second overall with a season best jump of 14.43m, securing another eight points for the team. Phoenix finished with 18 points total from long and triple jump. First-year Weston Simak took seventh place again with a jump of 13.23m to finish with four points for the weekend. First-year Lens Demosthene also set a personal best with a mark of 12.72m to finish 10^th overall. Sophomore Peter Skulski also set a massive personal best with a mark of 12.07m, good for 14^th overall.

On the track for the 4x100-meter relay finals, the team finished second place overall, matching their time from the trials of 41.93. The team again consisted of first-year Colin Marsh and seniors Kyle Dunbar, Vajon Wilson, and Logan Berner.

In the 1500-meter, graduate student Carl Tyce broke his own school record by setting a personal best in a time 3:57.01 to take fourth overall. The five points he secured from the race brought his weekend total up to 7.5. Senior Ben Phillippy also set a personal best with a time of 4:04.50 to finish 11^th overall.

For the finals in the 110-meter hurdle, junior Sam Estherson followed up his school record performance yesterday with a time of 15.02 to take second overall. Estherson notched a critical eight points for the team from his effort.

Then, in the 100-meter finals, Berner came back to finish fifth overall with a time of 11.02. The four points he secured brought his total up to six for the weekend.

Over at the shot put, junior Jacob Schaeffer set a personal best with a throw of 13.56m, which earned him a seventh-place finish and two points. Schaeffer is now tied for tenth on the all-time list with this effort.

In the 800-meter finals, first-year Jozef Callano set another personal best with a time of 1:55.40. He moved up a spot from the trails to finish seventh overall, earning another two points and bringing his total up to 4.5.

In the 200-meter finals, Dunbar returned to finish fifth overall with a time of 22.18, notching another four points. This brought his weekend total up to six points.

Finally, in the 5000-meter, senior Shane Artis led the way by securing a first-place victory in a tight finish with a time of 14:56.00. This brought the point total for Artis up to 12.5, who walked away with two gold medals from the weekend. First-year Joey Wilson also set a personal best with a time of 15:14.95. He finished ninth overall, and narrowly hit the qualifier for the AARTFC Outdoor Track Regional Championship. Wilson remains sixth overall on the all-time list.

Graduate student Matt Santacoloma also notably finished 13^th overall with a time of 15:19.86. Fellow graduate student Tom Greve also set a personal best with a time of 15:43.12, good for 23^rd overall. Graduate student Brian Bruno notably finished 15:48.77, good for 26^th place. Senior Dean Ricco finished 33^rd with a time of 16:06.76. All four athletes, along with senior Matt Chylack and junior Cody Smith, completed the 10000-meter and 5000-meter double.

This incredible team performance was the cap for a successful outdoor track season for the Bulldogs, who brought the biggest squad to the conference championship in team history.

Some Bulldogs will return for one final performance at the Last Chance Invite at Widener University on Monday, May 12. Others will be competing at the AARTFC Regional Championship at SUNY Cortland on Wednesday and Thursday, May 14-15.