FULL RESULTS  l  Gaita recap (pentathlon) Friday

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Top-five performances in 14 events, including an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time by senior Steven Morgan in the 60m hurdles and a near school record by sophomore Patrick Monahan in the 60-meter dash, highlighted ESU's performance at day two of the Lehigh Fast Times meet on Saturday.

Morgan topped the field in the 60m hurdles (8.18), just four-hundredths off his PR of 8.14 which ranks third in school history.

Monahan crossed the line with a second-place time of 7.01, only one-hundredth behind Ian Melhorn's program record set in 2012. Today's result was eight-hundredths quicker than his previous PR of 7.09 set last February.

Junior Jon Hummel, sophomore Michayla Weitman and junior Hope Decker also registered top-10 program efforts for the Warriors. In the field, Hummel had the sixth-furthest throw all-time in the weight throw with his fifth-place toss of 50' 11 1/2", and Weitman posted a mark of 17' 3 1/4" in the long jump which is tied for 10th historically. She placed fourth overall in this weekend's competition. Decker completed the 500m in 1:19.28, a time which places her sixth all-time and ranked her fifth in Saturday's race.

All three of those top 10 program marks also reached the required PSAC championship standard. ESU ended Saturday with 14 PSAC qualifying performances overall and 17 for the weekend, including sophomore Aspen Gaita's effort in the pentathlon on Friday night.

Gaita registered a score of 3,534 across the five events, the second-highest total in school history - including a school and PSAC record in the 60m hurdles (8.59) and tying ESU's long jump mark (18-1).

She broke the ESU 60m hurdles record by 35-hundredths of a second, shattering the time of 8.94 set by Lauren Ventrella in 2010, and broke the PSAC record of 8.60 set by Andi Rose (Slippery Rock) in 2007 and tied by Tabitha Bemis (Edinboro) in both 2013 and 2014. 

Gaita tied the ESU indoor long jump record held by three-time NCAA qualifier Leslie Martin which was set in 2007. She also registered a PSAC-qualifying effort of 5' 2 1/2" in the high jump.

The Warriors took first place in a pair of sprint events on Saturday in Morgan and sophomore Marissa Flim, who bested an initial group of 43 in the 60m dash, completing the finals in 7.87 - just four-hundredths back of her PR which is presently No. 5 all-time at ESU.

ESU added three runner-up finishes, including Monahan in the 60m dash, senior Sean Hagerty in the long jump (22' 6 1/4") and senior Robert Garvey in the 500m (1:07.58). Monahan added a fourth-place showing in the 200m, crossing the line in 23.02.

Junior Hope Decker had the final individual top five on the track, placing fifth in the 500m (1:19.28), while the women's 4x400m relay squad of junior Jaid Harsch, sophomore Leiana Dean, sophomore Arianna Ventura and junior Danielle Swingle (4:07.84) and the 4x800m foursome of senior Erin Brady, Decker, sophomore Victoria Matthews and freshman Kylee Kresge (10:16.97) took fourth in their respective races.

In field events, an ESU trio of freshman Sarah Smith, sophomore Carly Gregas and Matthews tied for fourth in the high jump (5' 1"), while senior La Treil Ridgeway in the triple jump (44' 8 3/4") and freshman Olivia Onal in the shot put (37' 6 1/2") each placed fifth.

Other PSAC qualifiers included Onal in the weight throw (42' 3 1/2"), Harsch in the 60m hurdles (9.65), junior Montel Johnson-Troupe in the 60m dash (7.18) and 200m (23.08) and junior Juwaan Walker in the 200m (23.20).

The Warriors now have a month off before their next meet. ESU will take part in the Kutztown Invitational, a two-day competition beginning on Thursday, Jan. 12.