UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Jan. 15, 2007) – The Saint Francis track & field teams returned from Christmas break and jumped right into action on Saturday by recording several top performances during the Penn State Relays, which were held at the Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.

The Red Flash men’s 1600 Sprint Medley Relay team took first place, and set a school record, with a time of 3 minutes, 28.03 seconds. Senior James Bush, sophomore Jorden Davis (Mississauga, Ontario / Loyola Catholic), junior Ian Butcher (Georgetown, Ontario / Christ the King) and junior John Balouris (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) all ran in the 1600 SMR.

Sophomore Dylan DeWyngaert (Red Bank, N.J. / Red Bank) also captured a win, taking first in the Weight Throw with a distance of 59 feet, 8.25 inches, and sophomore Ben Madeira (Summerhill, Pa. / Forest Hills) set a school record and placed fourth with a distance of 54-0 feet in the Shot Put.

Also for the Saint Francis men, sophomore Mikko Aronopaa won the Long Jump and set a meet record with a distance of 23-05.25. Sophomore Dennis Eradiri (Sofia, Bulgaria / Vladislav Gramatik 73) took sixth in the same event with a distance of 22-06.25. Sophomore Will Velez (Cleveland, Ohio / Benedictine) took sixth in the High Jump with a distance of 6-5.

The Red Flash women also had several outstanding performances, including a second place finish by senior Diane Gmiter (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Laurel Highlands) in the Weight Throw with a distance of 57-02.25, which ranks third on the school’s all-time list. Junior Lisa Morse (Freedom, N.Y. / Pioneer Central) took fourth in the Weight Throw with a toss of 55-05, and senior Kayla Herron (Cumberland, Ohio /John Glenn) was fifth with a distance of 55-02, which was an indoor personal best.

Gmiter also recorded a third place finish in the Shot Put with a toss of 47-04.5, while Morse took fourth (46-11.5) and Herron finished seventh (42-04.75).

Three Red Flash relay teams also recorded top finishes, including the 4x400 team of freshman Jennifer Kalkestein (Lower Burrell, Pa. / Burrell), freshman Danielle Burton (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin), junior Kora Hardy (Salisbury, Md. / James M. Benett) and freshman Noelle Lyons (Northern Huntingdon, Pa. / Norwin), which took seventh with a time of 4:07.29, which ranks sixth on the school’s all-time list.

Junior Brittni Smallwood (Somerset, N.J. / Bishop George), freshman Sarah Harmon (Quantico, Md. / James M. Benett), freshman Brittany Grasberger (Hillsborough, Calif. / Aragon) and Hardy all teamed together to take third in the 4x55 relay in 29.26, and Smallwood, Hardy, Kalkestein and senior Erika Jacobs (Toronto, Ontario, Canada / West Hill Collegiate) took fourth in the 1600 Sprint Medley Relay in 4:12.73.

Saint Francis will return to action with the Bucknell University Heptagonal this coming Saturday.