Behrend Track and Field to Compete at AARTFC Championships

Behrend Track and Field to Compete at AARTFC Championships

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's and women's track and field team heads to Moravian College for the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference (AARTFC) Championships beginning on Wednesday, May 18. The Lions qualified to compete in 18 events combined between the men's and women's side.

Men's News & Notes:

* Eric Stehlik (Northport, NY/Northport) tops Behrend in individual events, qualifying for the 100m, 200m and the 400m
* Stehlik posted qualifying marks in the 100m and the 200m at the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championships on May 7
* Kody Klein (North East, PA/Cathedral Prep) will compete in the 800m after qualifying with a time of 1.55.98
* Blake Burns (Jefferson, OH/Jefferson Area) and Anand Bhambwani (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon) each clinched a spot in the 110m hurdles during the CSAC Championships, earning first and second place, respectively
* Bhambwani will join Samuel Hetrick (New Bethlehem, PA/Redbank Valley) and Braeden Smith (Erie, PA/Seneca) in the high jump as all three registered AARTFC-qualifying marks this season
* Hetrick currently holds the second-best jump in the AARTFC with a 2.08m leap as Smith enters fourth at 2.05m
* Ryan Festa (Horsham, PA/Hatboro-Horsham) and Nick Lachut (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) will compete in the pole vault with Festa entering tied for ninth with a mark of 4.55m
* Matt Laslavic (Zelienople, PA/Seneca Valley) will compete in the triple jump after qualifying with a 13.57 along with the javelin throw, clinching the AARTFCs on April 16 at the Tomcat Invitational
* Jacob Rose (Lawrence Park, PA/Iroquois) tossed a 14.11m in the shot put on April 29 to punch his ticket for this weeks meet
* Dan Dabrowski (Harborcreek, PA/Harborcreek) enters with the sixth-best mark in discus with a mark of 49.20m

Women's News & Notes:

* Olivia Nola (Erie, PA/Collegiate Academy) will compete in a team-high three events
* Nola clinched the AARTFC Championships with qualifying marks in the 800m, 1500m and 5000m
* After winning CSAC Track Athlete of the Year, Ivy Laffan (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) will compete in the 400m after qualifying with a 59.79 during the Behrend Invitational on April 24
* Madison Kappeler (Cecil, PA/Cannon-McMillan) enters as the 19th seed in the pole vault with a mark of 3.32m