Eagles Claim Pair of Podiums at Susquehanna Tuneup

SELINSGROVE, Pa.- The Juniata men's track and field team competed in their final meet before Landmark Conference Championships in the Susquehanna Tuneup on Saturday. Lincoln Riddle and Barrett Walters each landed spots on the podium in their respective events, while five personal records were set on the day. 

Juniata competed in six track events and a pair of field events. 

The Eagles raced in the 4x200-meter race, the 60-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the 400-meter race, the 800-meter race, and the mile. 

Lincoln Riddle podiumed for the second consecutive meet, finishing in second place of 28 competitors in the 400-meter race with a time of 52.57. It's a new personal record for Riddle, who reduced 0.05 hundredths of a second off his previous best when he finished third at Franklin & Marshall's Blue and White Invitational one week ago.  

John Redos led the way for the Eagles in the 60-meter dash, finishing in 16th of the 51 competitors with a time of 7.49. Caleb Massare followed in 26th with a time of 7.59. It's a new personal record for Massare in the 60-meter race, as he knocks a tenth off his previous-best time set at the Moravian University Invite at Lehigh in January. Zion Gomez rounded out Juniata's competing runners with a time of 7.77 to finish in 35th place.  

Redos also led Juniata in the 200-meter dash, finishing 19th of 55, competing with a time of 24.63. Massare was right behind in scoring in the 20th position with a time of 24.69. Massare set his second personal record of the day, improving on his time of 25.23 that was set at the Blue and White Invitational at Franklin & Marshall last week. Gomez finished the dash in 26.24 for a 44th-place showing. 

The team of Redos, Riddle, Massare, and Gomez logged a time of 1:40.31 in the 4x200-meter relay to finish in the sixth position, the team's best time of the season following a 1:40.78 at the Houghton December Classic. 

Ellis Kline logged his second mile time of the season, finishing in 5:28.30. He set a new personal record for the indoor mile, improving on his first time of the year by 14.6 seconds set at the Moravian University Indoor Meet at Lehigh University. Kline also competed in the 800-meter race, finishing in 2:30.58. It's also a new personal record in the 800-meter for Kline, having previously set a benchmark of 2:34.58 at the Moravian University Indoor Meet at Lehigh's Rauch Fieldhouse 

Three Eagles competed in the weight throw to open the day, and two competed in the shot put. 

Barrett Walters was a tenth of a meter off his personal record set last week at F&M with a mark of 14.22 meters on his first attempt today, landing on the final step of the podium of the 33 competing. Brendan Nauman followed with a throw of 11.58 meters on his final attempt to finish in 17th. Luke Bittner rounded out scoring with an 8.61-meter throw on his first attempt. 

Bittner and Redos each competed in the shot put event. Redos threw 10.28 meters on his first attempt to finish in 25thplace out of 41 competing. It's Redos' first shot put attempt as a college athlete at Juniata. Bittner followed in 41st with an 8.66-meter throw on his second attempt.  

The Eagles wrap up the indoor track and field slate next Saturday at the Landmark Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.