Balestra

Skyhawks post six top-five finishes 

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 9, 2016) – The Stonehill College men's track & field program posted six top-five finishes, four in field events, at the sixth AIC Yellow Jacket Invitational, hosted by American International College, at John G. Hoyt Track & Field Complex today.

Sophomore Stefan Balestra (Lincoln, Rhode Island/Lincoln) finished third out of 28 entries in the hammer throw with his distance of 167-feet, 1-inch. Senior Mason Griffin (Wellesley, Massachusetts/Wellesley) placed 16^th at 135-00. Griffin also finished fourth out of 39 throwers in the shot put with a distance of 47-feet, 2.50-inches. Freshman Darren Shi placed 16^th at 39-11.25.

Sophomore Anthony Innamorati (Clinton, Massachusetts/Clinton) placed second out of 21 competitors in the pole vault by clearing a height of 13-feet, 9.25-inches. Freshman Daniel Bomba (Putnam Valley, New York/Iona Prep) finished sixth at 12-11.50.

Sophomore Jordan Sullivan (Sound Beach, New York/Miller Place) placed third out of 20 entries in the high jump by clearing a height of 6-feet, 2.75-inches. The height matched the winning effort, but he placed third on attempts.

Junior Antonio Xelhua (Arlington, Massachusetts/Arlington) finished third in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 32:29.45.

Anthony Innamorati continues his strong vaulting season with a second place finish on Saturday. (PHOTO BY Mark Connolly)

Freshman Riley Dowd (Peabody, Massachusetts/Peabody Veterans Memorial) ran fifth out of 79 entries in the 800-meter run with his time of 1:57.21. Classmate Alexander Demeule (Merrimac, Massachusetts/Pentucket Regional) placed 14^th in 1:59.61, while freshman Christopher Drace (Franklin, New Jersey/Pope John XXIII) took 17^th in 2:00.12 and junior Steven Bomba (Putnam Valley, New York/Iona Prep) was 18^th in 2:00.21.

Sophomore Joshua Hubbell (Gloucester, Massachusetts/St. John's Prep) finished tenth out of 45 entries in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.41-seconds. Freshman Stephen Vercollone (Pembroke, Massachusetts/Pembroke) placed 15^th in 51.92-seconds, while sophomore Jason Dimmick (Sutton, Massachusetts/Sutton) and freshman Daniel Madsen (West Haven, Connecticut/Notre Dame-West Haven) placed 21^st and 22^nd, respectively in 52.48-seconds and 52.91. Hubbell also placed 12^th out of 41 competitors in the long jump with a distance of 19-feet, 10.75-inches.

Junior All-American Matt Baldasare (Mansfield, Massachusetts/Mansfield) and freshman Joe Connolly (Wilmington, Massachusetts/Austin Prep) finished 13^th and 14^th, respectively, out of 74 sprinters in the 100-meter dash. Baldasare clocked in at 11.35-seconds, while Connolly posted a time of 11.37. Sophomore Ruddy Severino (Methuen, Massachusetts/Methuen) finished 22^nd in 11.42-seconds, while classmate Patrick Ahern (Charlotte, North Carolina/Providence Country Day) was 28^th in 11.56. Severino, Connolly, Ahern and Baldasare and ran Stonehill's entry in the 4x100-meter relay that finished sixth in 43.34-seconds. 

Other Stonehill Results Include: 

Xelhua

Freshman Lucas Taxter (Readville, Massachusetts/Xaverian Brothers) finished sixth out of 89 runners in the 1500-meter run with his time of 4:01.93. Freshman David Lockhart (Stoughton, Massachusetts/Stoughton) placed 11^th in 4:05.77, while sophomore Sam Bradford (Bedford, Massachusetts/Bedford) was 13^th in 4:08.29. 

Sophomore Jonathan Naval (Stratford, Connecticut/Bunnell) placed 12^th out of 26 jumpers in the triple jump with his distance of 42-feet, 2.75. 

Freshman Chase LeMay (Clinton, Connecticut/The Morgan School) and sophomore Mark Hamalian (West Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) finished 13^th and 14^th, respectively in the 110-meter high hurdles. LeMay posted a time of 16.58-seconds, while Hamalian finished in 16.66. Hamalian was also 13^th out of 35 competitors in the javelin throw with his distance of 148-feet, 9-inches. 

Stonehill will compete in two events next weekend, starting Friday night at the Silfen Invitational, hosted by Connecticut College, and then at the Minuteman Invitational, hosted by the University of Massachusetts, on Saturday. Stonehill will host its annual Skyhawk Invitational on Saturday, April 30, at 10:30 a.m.

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