Friday, December 1
Bethlehem, Pa.
Lehigh University
vs
Mountain Hawk Opener
Season Preview: Men’s Track and Field Opens 2023-24 with Key Returners and Promising Newcomers
11/30/2023 4:59:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Track and Field
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh men's track and field team opens the 2023-24 indoor season this weekend as the Mountain Hawks host the Mountain Hawk Opener at Rauch Fieldhouse.
With 17 first-years slated to compete and a plethora of exceptional returners opening up the 2023 indoor track and field season this weekend, head coach Khayla Atte identified discipline, talent and competitiveness as common themes for this years' squad.
"We are learning how to shape our discipline in order to put ourselves in a place where we get the outcomes we want by looking at the 'why' and being intentional with what we do day-to-day," said Atte.
Coming off fourth place finishes in the indoor and outdoor seasons last year, the men return accomplished upperclassmen and driven newcomers looking to make a name for themselves. Last indoor season, graduate student Ian Scott earned the Patriot League title in the triple jump with a mark of 14.86m.
Multis
Atte was quick to identify junior Gideon Coprivnicar as a stand-out returner in the multis group. "Gideon has grown immensely as an athlete and as a person. He has taken charge of the group and is leading by example."
Pole Vault
A first-year is opening up this weekend, along with junior Jack Murphy. "Jack is a jack of all trades. As a student-athlete and involved in ROTC, he represents the Patriot League very well," said Atte. Murphy will not only pole vault, but also compete in the 400H.
Jumps
"For long and triple jumps, we do not have any first-years and that group collectively is all the same age and more mature," said Atte. Graduate student Ian Scott earned the school record of 15.38m in the triple jump and a gold medal in the 2023 Patriot League outdoor championships, qualifying for the NCAA First Round.
Throws
Senior Liam Lovering finished eighth in the shot put with a mark of 15.06m at the indoor championships last season. A versatile athlete competing in both shot put and the weight throw in indoor, Lovering took home a silver medal in the discus in the Patriot League Championships last season, qualifying for the NCAA First Round. When asked about Lovering's event specialties, Atte said, "we want to keep him focused on what he can do (discus) but don't want to hold him back. One thing can be the energy that creates momentum in other areas." Achilles Mouzakis and Alex Clevenger also return as leaders in the throws.
Sprints/Hurdles
"We have three first-year hurdlers we are excited to see compete because you never know what will happen when the gun goes off," said Astor. Senior Daniel Stipanov returns as a leader in the group, earning a 12th place finish in the 60H at last year's indoor championships with a PR of 8.43m. School record holder in the 60H, junior Jonathan Bennett, returns healthy and looks to break his record of 8.12 in the 60H.
Aside from Stipanov and Bennett, junior Patrez Thomas is also returning for the Mountain Hawks. In outdoor championships, Thomas finished seventh overall in the 400H with a time of 57.73.
Middle Distance/Distance
Returner Kevin Harvey along with first-year Thomas Smigo are coming off strong cross country seasons, with Smigo earning Patriot of the League Rookie of the Year. Last indoor season, Harvey and classmate Aidan Lynch compiled eight points for the Mountain Hawks as Lehigh finished eighth in the Patriot League Championships.
Mountain Hawk Season Opener
Lehigh welcomes Alvernia, Delaware Valley, Delaware State, DeSales, FDU, Kutztown, West Chester, Moravian and Muhlenberg Dec. 1-2 for an unscored meet. The season-opening meet begins at 5 p.m. on Friday with long jump, weight throw and men's pole vault competing as field events open the two-day tournament.
Saturday kicks off at 10 a.m. with the men's triple jump and shot put. High jump competes at 11 a.m., rounding out the field event for the men. Action on the track begins at noon with women's 60M hurdles followed by men's. The last men's race begins at 3:50 p.m. with the 4x400.
Complete meet information can be found here. Live results for this weekend's meet can be found on MitchellTiming.com.
With 17 first-years slated to compete and a plethora of exceptional returners opening up the 2023 indoor track and field season this weekend, head coach Khayla Atte identified discipline, talent and competitiveness as common themes for this years' squad.
"We are learning how to shape our discipline in order to put ourselves in a place where we get the outcomes we want by looking at the 'why' and being intentional with what we do day-to-day," said Atte.
Coming off fourth place finishes in the indoor and outdoor seasons last year, the men return accomplished upperclassmen and driven newcomers looking to make a name for themselves. Last indoor season, graduate student Ian Scott earned the Patriot League title in the triple jump with a mark of 14.86m.
Multis
Atte was quick to identify junior Gideon Coprivnicar as a stand-out returner in the multis group. "Gideon has grown immensely as an athlete and as a person. He has taken charge of the group and is leading by example."
Pole Vault
A first-year is opening up this weekend, along with junior Jack Murphy. "Jack is a jack of all trades. As a student-athlete and involved in ROTC, he represents the Patriot League very well," said Atte. Murphy will not only pole vault, but also compete in the 400H.
Jumps
"For long and triple jumps, we do not have any first-years and that group collectively is all the same age and more mature," said Atte. Graduate student Ian Scott earned the school record of 15.38m in the triple jump and a gold medal in the 2023 Patriot League outdoor championships, qualifying for the NCAA First Round.
Throws
Senior Liam Lovering finished eighth in the shot put with a mark of 15.06m at the indoor championships last season. A versatile athlete competing in both shot put and the weight throw in indoor, Lovering took home a silver medal in the discus in the Patriot League Championships last season, qualifying for the NCAA First Round. When asked about Lovering's event specialties, Atte said, "we want to keep him focused on what he can do (discus) but don't want to hold him back. One thing can be the energy that creates momentum in other areas." Achilles Mouzakis and Alex Clevenger also return as leaders in the throws.
Sprints/Hurdles
"We have three first-year hurdlers we are excited to see compete because you never know what will happen when the gun goes off," said Astor. Senior Daniel Stipanov returns as a leader in the group, earning a 12th place finish in the 60H at last year's indoor championships with a PR of 8.43m. School record holder in the 60H, junior Jonathan Bennett, returns healthy and looks to break his record of 8.12 in the 60H.
Aside from Stipanov and Bennett, junior Patrez Thomas is also returning for the Mountain Hawks. In outdoor championships, Thomas finished seventh overall in the 400H with a time of 57.73.
Middle Distance/Distance
Returner Kevin Harvey along with first-year Thomas Smigo are coming off strong cross country seasons, with Smigo earning Patriot of the League Rookie of the Year. Last indoor season, Harvey and classmate Aidan Lynch compiled eight points for the Mountain Hawks as Lehigh finished eighth in the Patriot League Championships.
Mountain Hawk Season Opener
Lehigh welcomes Alvernia, Delaware Valley, Delaware State, DeSales, FDU, Kutztown, West Chester, Moravian and Muhlenberg Dec. 1-2 for an unscored meet. The season-opening meet begins at 5 p.m. on Friday with long jump, weight throw and men's pole vault competing as field events open the two-day tournament.
Saturday kicks off at 10 a.m. with the men's triple jump and shot put. High jump competes at 11 a.m., rounding out the field event for the men. Action on the track begins at noon with women's 60M hurdles followed by men's. The last men's race begins at 3:50 p.m. with the 4x400.
Complete meet information can be found here. Live results for this weekend's meet can be found on MitchellTiming.com.
Players Mentioned
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Multis
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Multis
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Men's Track and FieldLehigh Sports Central: Indoor Track & Field
Wednesday, January 22
Lehigh Sports Central: Track and Field
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