ERIE — Competing against a 27-team field of competition, the Bradford boys’ track and field team placed second at the McDowell Invitational, continuing their hot season past the midway mark.
The host team, McDowell, took top honors with 94 points. Bradford followed with 64, Oil City took bronze with 58, followed by Fort LeBoeuf at 46 and DuBois with 36 to round out the top five.
The Owls once again were led by Brayden Frair who broke the longest standing record in outdoor track at Bradford High School. Jim Shields set the 3200 meter record in 1989 with a time of 9:41.94, however, Frair cruised the distance in 9:38.21, earning third place in a star studded field.
“What made this race even harder for Brayden were the strong winds that hindered everyone’s time,” said Bradford head coach Tom Tessena. “Also this was Brayden’s third race of the day.”
Frair ran the anchor leg on the Owls’ 4×800 relay team which placed second. He combined with Leo Paterniti, Joe Caruso and Kadyn Tessena. Frair earned his first win of the day in the 1600M in a personal best time of 4:28.98, standing as Bradford’s fifth fastest time ever.
Paterniti had quite a day for himself as well.He ran the 400M in 52.77 to take sixth place, then ran the 800M in 2:01.24 for personal bests. Paterniti also ran the 4x400m relay to complete his day. Logan Kohler placed second in the 110M high hurdles in 16.20 and fifth in the 300M intermediate hurdles in 42.34. Chase Wineberg placed second in the high jump, tying his personal best with a 6-2 leap. He also placed third in the long jump (19-4.5).
Andrew Giordano placed second in the javelin at 149-4. Enzo Aiello was sixth in the pole vault (11-6) and Cooper McGee was ninth (10-6). Fabian Sherk had a personal best of 39-9.5 in the triple jump to take seventh.
Back on the track, Caruso posted a personal best in the 1600M (4:45.12) and Evan Troisi ran 4:58.66 for a personal best in the 1600M. The Owls’ 4x100M relay team of Aiello, Kohler, Jeremiah Long and Sherk placed twelfth in 46.46.
Kadyn Tessena took eleventh in the 800M with a personal record of 2:08.29. Troisi ran the 3200M in 11:08.16. Matt DeCasper ran his best time in the 200M (26.02). Bradford’s 4x400M relay team of Danny Marasco, Kadyn Tessena, DeCasper, Leo Paterniti placed ninth in 3:49.36.
In the field events, Marasco was ninth in the triple jump (39-5) and Marcus Terwilliger was 17th at 37-8. Tyler Simmons was eleventh in the high jump (5-6). Patrick French ws 13th in the shot put (41-11.5) and Dan Taylor was 14th in a personal best of 41-1.5. Giordano was 15th in the discus (106-10) and Landon Davenport was 27th (100-4). Long was 21st in the javelin (116-3) and Konner Phillips threw 88-7.75 in the same event.
“It was a cold, hard day to compete but our guys showed their toughness today,” said Tom Tessena. “We are getting better but have much to do before Districts on May 17.”
The Owls return to action on Tuesday, when they travel to St. Marys to take on Elk County Catholic and DuBois Central Catholic. Following that, Bradford faces their biggest test yet at the Altoona Invitational on Friday. There, the Owls will see DuBois, St. Marys and Clearfield, along with 12 to 14 other schools such as Altoona and State College.
“It will be tough to place in this meet,” said Tom Tessena.
BOYS
AT ERIE
100: Whitaker (MCD) 0:11.09, 200: Knox (OC) 0:22.3, 400: Williams (MD) 0:51.12, 800: Pierce (MCD) 1:59.75, 1,600: Frair (BD) 4:28.9, 3,200: Kramer (MCD) 9:29.78, 400 relay: McDowell 0:43.4, 1,600 relay: McDowell 3:34.39, 3,200 relay: McDowell 8:16.27, 110 hurdles: Skinner (FL) 0:16.11, 300 hurdles: Wolfkiel (TS) 0:41.37, long jump: Wasiulewski (FL) 20-3.75, triple jump: Dellamo (GD) 42-6, high jump: Crozier (NE) 6-4, shot put: Beal (JB) 47-1, discus: Gande (HBC) 136-0, pole vault: Yost (SN) 15-0, javelin: Carey (CR) 145-7
