Point Park men win six events, earn 19 Top-10 placements at Marshall Classic

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Point Park University men's indoor track & field got right to it with their first meet of the semester on Saturday. The Pioneers won six events and took 19 Top-10 placements at the Marshall (W.Va.) University Alumni Classic, an NCAA Division I meet.

Freshman jumper and sprinter Akeem Mustapha highlighted the day winning both the long and high jumps. The product of Harrisburg, Pa., set a school record in the long jump with a leap of 7.26 meters. That extended his already NAIA national championship 'A' standard qualifying mark from the YSU meet. He won the high jump with a height of 1.90 meters, which matched is PR from YSU. 

Ramiro Ulunque won the 800 meters running a time of 1 minutes, 56.30 seconds. That was within 1.00 seconds of qualifying for the NAIA national meet for the junior from Bolivia. 

Juan Barrera won the 400 meters with a time of 50.35 seconds. That was jsut 0.05 off the indoor PR for the junior from Colombia. 

Elijah James, already an NAIA national qualifier in the 600 meters, won that event with a time of 1:22.27. The junior from Pittsburgh was one of four Top 10s in the event for Point Park with Toby Wright (1:24) third, Wesley Thrower (1:25) fourth and Emmanuel Akpoli (1:30) coming in sixth. 

Chevaughn Fletcher, a sophomore from Jamaica, continued his strong performances in the weight throw taking first place at Marshall. He is already an NAIA national qualifier in the event with a school record. His distance was 16.08 meters on Saturday.

Damir Lomax, a senior sprinter, hurdler and jumper from Sicklerville, N.J., had a busy day. He competed in five events and earned four Top 10s on his own. He placed fourth in the 200 meters (22.56), made finals and placed seventh in the 60-meter hurdles (8.68), was just outside of finals in the 60-meter dash (7.11) placing 10th and also led off the Pioneers' 4x400 relay that took third. 

The 4x400 relay was just 1.0 second per leg from qualifying for nationals. The team of Lomax, Steve Bradley, Barrera and James had a time of 3:23.82. That was third place with NCAA Division II MEC school Charleston (W.Va.) in first at 3:20 and host NCAA DI school Marshall in second at 3:21. A time of 3:19.31 is needed for NAIA nationals. 

Jannik Windelband pulled in another Top 10 placing ninth in the 3,000 meters. He did so with a time of 8:53.62 in the first track action of the year for the junior from Germany. 

Mustpaha was also ninth in the 60-meter hurdles and 11th in the 60-meter dash in an overall busy and strong day for him. The 60 meters also included from Poiint Park Louis Becamel in 11th and Dorian Boatswain placing 14th. 

Point Park's next meet is Saturday, Jan. 20 at the Ashland (Ohio) University Invitational, an NCAA Division II meet.