Saturday, January 17
Philadelphia, Pa.
Lehigh University
at
Quaker Invitational
Photo by: Don Paul
Lehigh Put Up Numerous Personal Best Performances On Two-Meet Weekend
1/17/2026 8:44:00 PM | Men's Track and Field
BETHLEHEM, Pa.- Lehigh's men's track and field team split their squad between two meets on Saturday. The majority of the team returned to the University of Pennsylvania to compete at the Quaker Invitational. Another chunk of the roster remained home at Rauch Fieldhouse to brave the winter weather and the Moravian University Blue & Grey Invite.Â
Quaker Invitational
At the Quaker Invitational, the Mountain Hawks secured 10 top 10 performances, as well as other top finishes.
The throwing events featured two athletes who keep setting new benchmarks each time they step into the circle. For the third straight time to start the season, Joseph Nowakowski and Chance Stuart leave the competition with new personal bests. The senior has been climbing up Lehigh's indoor all-time performance list. He threw the shot put 16.55 meters in this meet, which moved him up to fifth on the list and earned him eighth at the meet. Nowakowski also set a new personal record in the weight throw, covering 14.13-meters. That throw placed him in ninth, just behind teammate Christian Saparata (15.09m), who placed eighth. This is the same event where Stuart broke his own personal record. The first-year had a massive improvement, covering almost one meter more than he had ever before. He threw for 17.08 meters, which not only good for fourth place overall, but earned him the sixth spot on Lehigh's all-time list.
Senior Daniel Givens jumped onto the podium in the triple jump, souring 13.22 meters to place third. Konstantinos Panagopoulos placed just behind him in fourth, with his 12.47 meter jump being a new personal best. Panagopoulos was Lehigh's top jumper in the long jump, as he placed 12th with a 6.57-meter jump.Â
Junior Eddie Moore put up a pair of good races in the sprints. He opened up the meet with a season's best time of 6.94 over 60 meters, which placed him at ninth. He followed it up with a 13th place finish in the 200, crossing the line in 22.40.Â
Two more top sprinting performances came in the 60 meter hurdle and 400 meter races, Junior Nathan Oliphant ran 8.40 in the 60 meter hurdles, placing ninth. Sophomore Nick Bressi placed 11th in the 400, running 49.98.
Lehigh's leaders in the distance events all featured personal bests. Sophomore Ian Zalewski placed seventh in the 800, running a personal record 1:54.65. In the mile, senior Dan Malatesta set a new personal best time of 4:15.65, which earned him 17th. Mekhi Britt's personal best time in the 1000 also placed him 17th. The first-year ran 2:29.34.
The team of Bressi, Britt, Alex Heidemann, and Aidan LaTourette earned Lehigh's final top 10 finish of the day. The squad placed eighth in the 4x400 meter relay, running 3:22.08.
Moravian University Blue & Grey Invite
Lehigh put together a group of top performances at the Blue & Grey Invite.Â
Junior Andrew Clark opened the meet with one of the best performances of the day. He took the win in the long jump with a 6.84-meter leap. That distance also gave him a new personal best. Clark was not the only Mountain Hawk to lead their event, as sophomore Charlie Butler earned his collegiate victory. He ran 15:30.66 in the 5k, taking the victory by about half of a second, and missing his personal best by just about the same length.
The Mountain Hawks earned five other top finishes in four events. In the mile, junior Thomas Smigo and senior Thomas Arnold reached podium finishes. Smigo placed second with a time of 4:34.81, and Arnold finished just behind at 4:35.06 to place third. In the sprints, sophomores Griffin Niemann and Austin Iburg placed well in their respective events. Niemann took fifth in the 400 (55.02), and Iburg came eighth over 200 meters (23.76). These four athletes came together in the 4x400 meter relay. The squad took fourth, running 3:40.55.
Sophomore Adam Klinge led the way for the throwers, placing in the top half of the field in both events. He threw 11.71 meters to place 11th in the shot put. He followed that up with a personal best weight throw distance of 12.06 meters, which once again placed him 11th.
The Mountain Hawks will split their team up again next week. They will compete in New York City at the Dr. Sander Scorcher, which will be hosted by Columbia University on January 23 and 24. Lehigh will also race at home again at the Moravian Hounds Classic, which will take place Saturday at Rauch Fieldhouse.
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Quaker Invitational
At the Quaker Invitational, the Mountain Hawks secured 10 top 10 performances, as well as other top finishes.
The throwing events featured two athletes who keep setting new benchmarks each time they step into the circle. For the third straight time to start the season, Joseph Nowakowski and Chance Stuart leave the competition with new personal bests. The senior has been climbing up Lehigh's indoor all-time performance list. He threw the shot put 16.55 meters in this meet, which moved him up to fifth on the list and earned him eighth at the meet. Nowakowski also set a new personal record in the weight throw, covering 14.13-meters. That throw placed him in ninth, just behind teammate Christian Saparata (15.09m), who placed eighth. This is the same event where Stuart broke his own personal record. The first-year had a massive improvement, covering almost one meter more than he had ever before. He threw for 17.08 meters, which not only good for fourth place overall, but earned him the sixth spot on Lehigh's all-time list.
Senior Daniel Givens jumped onto the podium in the triple jump, souring 13.22 meters to place third. Konstantinos Panagopoulos placed just behind him in fourth, with his 12.47 meter jump being a new personal best. Panagopoulos was Lehigh's top jumper in the long jump, as he placed 12th with a 6.57-meter jump.Â
Junior Eddie Moore put up a pair of good races in the sprints. He opened up the meet with a season's best time of 6.94 over 60 meters, which placed him at ninth. He followed it up with a 13th place finish in the 200, crossing the line in 22.40.Â
Two more top sprinting performances came in the 60 meter hurdle and 400 meter races, Junior Nathan Oliphant ran 8.40 in the 60 meter hurdles, placing ninth. Sophomore Nick Bressi placed 11th in the 400, running 49.98.
Lehigh's leaders in the distance events all featured personal bests. Sophomore Ian Zalewski placed seventh in the 800, running a personal record 1:54.65. In the mile, senior Dan Malatesta set a new personal best time of 4:15.65, which earned him 17th. Mekhi Britt's personal best time in the 1000 also placed him 17th. The first-year ran 2:29.34.
The team of Bressi, Britt, Alex Heidemann, and Aidan LaTourette earned Lehigh's final top 10 finish of the day. The squad placed eighth in the 4x400 meter relay, running 3:22.08.
Moravian University Blue & Grey Invite
Lehigh put together a group of top performances at the Blue & Grey Invite.Â
Junior Andrew Clark opened the meet with one of the best performances of the day. He took the win in the long jump with a 6.84-meter leap. That distance also gave him a new personal best. Clark was not the only Mountain Hawk to lead their event, as sophomore Charlie Butler earned his collegiate victory. He ran 15:30.66 in the 5k, taking the victory by about half of a second, and missing his personal best by just about the same length.
The Mountain Hawks earned five other top finishes in four events. In the mile, junior Thomas Smigo and senior Thomas Arnold reached podium finishes. Smigo placed second with a time of 4:34.81, and Arnold finished just behind at 4:35.06 to place third. In the sprints, sophomores Griffin Niemann and Austin Iburg placed well in their respective events. Niemann took fifth in the 400 (55.02), and Iburg came eighth over 200 meters (23.76). These four athletes came together in the 4x400 meter relay. The squad took fourth, running 3:40.55.
Sophomore Adam Klinge led the way for the throwers, placing in the top half of the field in both events. He threw 11.71 meters to place 11th in the shot put. He followed that up with a personal best weight throw distance of 12.06 meters, which once again placed him 11th.
The Mountain Hawks will split their team up again next week. They will compete in New York City at the Dr. Sander Scorcher, which will be hosted by Columbia University on January 23 and 24. Lehigh will also race at home again at the Moravian Hounds Classic, which will take place Saturday at Rauch Fieldhouse.
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Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Multis/Long Jump
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
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