Johnson Leads Men's Track & Field at Panther Invitational

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior Nick Johnson (Marstons Mills, Mass.) broke his own school record in the weight throw to lead the Bridgewater State University men's indoor track & field team at the Panther Invitational hosted by Plymouth State University on Saturday at the Bank of New Hampshire Field House.

The Bears finished second in the team standings at the meet with 124.5 points. Host Plymouth State won the team title with 150 points.

Johnson placed first in the weight throw with a toss of 57 feet, 2.75 inches (17.44m) as he eclipsed his previous mark of 55 feet, 11 inches (17.04m) set earlier this season at the Tufts Jumbo Invitational.

Freshman Exondus Barnes (East Providence, R.I.) and junior Andrew Chen (Waltham, Mass.) also captured meet titles in field events for the Bears. Barnes won the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 4.75 inches (6.52m), while Chen garnered top honors in the high jump with a season-best (equaled) mark of six feet, 2.75 inches (1.90m).

The Bears finished one-two in the 4x200-meter relay. The foursome of sophomores Jacob DeAndrade (Taunton, Mass.), Jadin Bruneau (Taunton, Mass.) and Matthew Lighten (Dalton, Mass.), and senior Lamont Haynes (Boston, Mass.) won the event with a track record time of 1:29.66. Senior Olivier Ndikumana (Amherst, Mass.), junior John Lara (South Boston, Mass.), freshman Joseph Madden Jr. (Milford, Mass.) and senior Joshua Higgins (Fitchburg, Mass.) placed second with a time of 1:35.81.

Higgins also finished first in the 400-meter run with a season-best time of 50.69 seconds, while Haynes posted the top mark  in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.29 seconds.

The Bears swept the top three place-winners in the 60-meter dash. DeAndrade and Bruneau tied for first in the 60 finals with a time of 7.13 seconds, while Lighten placed third with a personal-best time of 7.15 seconds.

Freshman Dimetri Morris (North Andover, Mass.) placed second in the finals of the 60-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 8.55 seconds. Junior Joseph Zingarelli (North Kingston, R.I.) finished second in the pole vault with a height of 13 feet, 1.50 inches (4.00m).

Johnson, Barnes, Chen, DeAndrade, Bruneau, Lighten, Higgins and Morris posted qualifying times or marks for DIII New Englands taking place later this month.

Next Saturday, the Bears will compete at the MASCAC Championships held at Smith College.