ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Penn State Behrend men's track and field team opened up their season Saturday at the Rochester Institute of Technology Tiger Invitational. The Lions finished sixth in the team rankings out of 14 squads.

Kevin Gardner (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) qualified for the ECAC's in the high jump posting a distance of 1.93m.

Freshman Dylan Buffington (Brookville, PA/Brookville) won the 1000 meter run tallying a time of 2:35.70. Devin Beggs (Franklin, PA/Franklin) finished just behind Buffington in third with a time of 3:36.78.

Matthew Grafton (Worthington, PA/Kittanning) earned a fifth place finish in the 400 meter dash running a time 52.17. Teammate Greg Graf (South Park, PA/South Park) placed 11^th carding a time of 54.03. Grafton also finished seventh in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.15.

Josh Natalie (Erie, PA/Collegiate Academy-Strong Vincent) finished eighth in the 500 meter dash finishing with a time of 69.78. In the 800 meter run Jeromee Geibel (Butler, PA/Butler) earned a top-ten finish with a 2:06.48. Phil Martone (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) placed 13^th with a time of 2:07.73.

Finishing with a time of 4:39.12, Alan Yocca (Plum, PA/Plum) took eighth place in the one mile run. In the 4x400 meter relay two Behrend teams finished 13^th and 14^th recording times of 3:44.61 and 3:46.82.

The Lions had three pole vaulters finish in the top five. Luke Aaron (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) placed second with a distance of 4.20m while Bobby Monteparte (Jeannette, PA/Hempfield) and Levi Varner (Middletown, PA/Middletown) tied for third. Both Monteparte and Varner posted distances of 4.05m.

Mitchell Obenrader (Fryburg, PA/North Clarion) recorded a distance of 14.12m in the shot put and finished fifth.   

The Lions return to action next Saturday at the Spire North Invitational in Geneva, Ohio. The event will start at 10 a.m.