Lehigh Shines at Big Apple Invitational

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The Lehigh men's track and field team continues to show signs of improvement as the Mountain Hawks prepare for the fast approaching Patriot League Championships on Feb. 25-26. Lehigh competed inside the Ocean Breeze Complex for the second time this season on Saturday, concluding the Big Apple Invitational with five top ten all-time additions and seven IC4A qualifying performances.

Senior Connor Melko was the first Mountain Hawk to capture an IC4A qualifying time on Saturday. Melko, who broke the 3000m school record on Feb. 4, became one step closer to claiming another school record, this time in the mile. The senior won the race with an IC4A qualifying time of 4:08.55 to become fourth all-time in Lehigh history. Sophomore Aidan Lynch competed alongside Melko in the mile, finishing third overall with an IC4A qualifying time of 4:11.23 to become sixth all-time.

Following Melko's win in the mile, fellow senior Amondo Lemmon added his name to Lehigh's all-time list. Lemmon, who finished seventh overall in the 400m, is now tenth all-time with a time of 50.05.

The Mountain Hawks continued to dominate on the track, with two more student-athletes earning IC4A qualifying times. Senior Kerem Ayhan captured Lehigh's third win of the day in the 800m. Ayhan won the race with a time of 1:52.67 to become fifth all-time. Fellow senior Jacob Martinez also qualified for the IC4A championship, finishing second in the 800m with a time of 1:52.86 to become sixth all-time.

Lehigh earned its final win on the track on Saturday in the 4x400 relay. The Mountain Hawks won the race with a time of 3:18.62.

While the Mountain Hawks dominated on the track, they continued to impress in the field events, with three more student-athletes finishing Saturday's meet with IC4A qualifying marks.

Sophomore Skyler Mott captured a win of his own in the high jump, winning the event with an IC4A qualifying mark of 2.01m.

Lehigh's pole vaulters continued to shine this season as junior Conor Reilly finished fourth overall with a mark of 4.60m. First-year Carter Bartz followed close behind Reilly, finishing fifth with a mark of 4.45m.

The Mountain Hawks wrapped up the Big Apple Invitational with two more student-athletes earning a spot in the IC4A championship.

Sophomore Alex Clevenger, who was a top finisher for Lehigh in the shot put, finished second with an IC4A qualifying mark of 16.19m. Fellow sophomore Liam Lovering followed suit, finishing third overall with an IC4A qualifying mark of 16.14m.

The Mountain Hawks will prepare for their final meet of the regular season on Feb. 17. Lehigh will travel to Lewisburg, Pa. for the Bucknell Tune Up before wrapping up the indoor season in Annapolis, Md. at the Patriot League Championships on Feb. 25-26, which will be hosted by Navy.

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Players Mentioned

Kerem Ayhan

Alex Clevenger

Amondo Lemmon

Liam Lovering

Aidan Lynch

Jacob Martinez

Connor Melko

Skyler Mott

Conor Reilly

Lehigh University Athletics

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