BETHANY, W. Va. – The Franciscan men's track and field team opened its outdoor season at the Bethany College Invitational, Saturday, and set four different school records in the opening meet.
Junior Hunter McDonnell led the way for the Barons with three school records, while junior Nick Long broke the school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
McDonnell broke the school record in the 400-meter hurdles by over just under five seconds as he came in fourth against a very competitive field with a time of 59.08. The previous record stood at 1:04.97 from 2013. McDonnell also set the school record in the high jump as he recorded his best jump at 1.83 meters, breaking his own record as a Baron with a sixth-place finish. The junior recorded his third school record of the day in the triple jump as he took ninth place with a jump of 11.71 meters. McDonnell also took 17th in the triple jump with a distance of 5.74 meters
Long picked up a school record of his own as he beat the previous record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by 28 seconds as he took first in the event with a time of 9:51.53. Long won the race by 15 seconds.
Franciscan placed three runners in the top-10 in the 1,500-meter run as freshman Liam Galligan took sixth with a time of 4:14.40, setting his personal best in the event. Not far behind Galligan was sophomore Patrick Tansill at 4:16.07 in eighth and Matthew Crotteau in 10th with a time of 4:16.49.
The Franciscan 4x400 meter relay team of junior John Bolster, freshman Austen Duggan, Tansill, and senior Carlo Fabian took eighth overall with a time of 3:40.06.
The Barons return to action on Saturday as they travel to Mount Union for the John Homon Open.
