Men's Track and Field | 5/2/2024 11:47:00 AM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher Men's Track and Field team hosts the Empire 8 Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend at Polisseni Track & Field Complex. Competition begins on Friday, May 3, before finishing on Saturday, May 4.
 
Here are some of the Cardinals to watch out for:
 
High Jumps, High Achievers
One of Fisher's best events is the high jump. Senior Sean Cochrane is tied for the Empire 8 lead for the best distance of the season (1.96m/6'5'') and is ranked tops in the conference. The Avon native has earned a top-55 rank in all of Division III in the event. Not far behind Cochrane is his teammate, sophomore Bryant DePaull. DePaull enters the conference meet ranked fourth in the event, with a top mark this season of 1.86m/6'1.25''. 
 
In addition to high jump, the aforementioned Cochrane is also fourth in the conference in javelin throw, with a distance of 40.78m/133'9''. 
 
Hurdles Contenders
Senior John Ruggio has won three straight conference titles in the 400 hurdles, and this weekend he'll try to add a fourth to the list. He holds the conference's best time in the event this season thus far, of 57.46- nearly a second ahead of his closest competitor. Teammate Trenton Wynn may also compete for the podium in the 400: his season-best time of 59.60 is fourth-best in the conference.
 
Ruggio and Wynn also could threaten in the 110 hurdles: they have the fourth (15.83) and fifth (16.17) best times, respectively. 
 
Pole Vaulting Penna
First-year Hayden Penna has been sensational in pole vault this season, holding the conference-best mark of 4.63m/15'2.25''. He's coming off a week where he earned Empire 8 Field Athlete of the Week honors when he set that 4.63m mark at the Cardinal Classic, a new outdoor record for the program. 
 
Kaplan With The Throw
In throws, keep an eye on sophomore Brandon Kaplan. The Grahamsville native leads all E8 athletes in the hammer throw with a mark of 55.41m/181'9'', and is seventh on the season in shot put (12.79m/41'11.5''). 
 
Teammates Joey Curr (fifth in shot put and discus), Jack Bickford (sixth in hammer), and Bryce Grove (sixth in discus) could also contend for the podium. 
 
The Running Men
Two Cardinals have top-five times for the conference in non-hurdles track events this season: freshman Jace Stuart and senior Ethan Billings.

Stuart is fourth in the conference in the 800 meters, with a time of 2:00.16. The Apalachin native also has a top 10 time in the 1500 and 5000 meter runs. 
 
Billings, a former E8 Cross Country champion, has the fourth-best time in the 5000 meter run. He ran a 15:26.42 earlier this season at the Bison Outdoor Classic. 
 
What Comes Next
Qualifying athletes will compete at the Atlantic Outdoor Regional Championships in Cortland in mid-May. 
 
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