Bulldogs shine on first day of CSU Spring Break Invitational

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University track and field program opened the outdoor season with a strong performance on day one of the Charleston Southern Spring Break Invitational Friday in Charleston, S.C.

Four different Bulldogs ran to top three finishes as Deion Raper (Brockton, Mass.), Milan Duka (Belgrade, Serbia), Ryan Poholek (Attleboro, Mass.) and Melissa Lodge (Hopkinton, Mass.) all had strong performances. Raper finished second in the 200m (21.97), Lodge finished second in the 1500 (4:41.64), Poholek finished third in the 800 (2:00.82) and Duka finished third in the 1500 (4:00.29).

Justin Patterson (Marshfield, Mass.) finished 10th in the 400m as he posted a time of 51.38.

Brian Salit (Seekonk, Mass.) joined Poholek in the 800, finishing 10th with a time of 2:06.52.

In addition to Duka's third-place finish in the 1500, Richard Landry (Holyoke, Mass.) finished seventh and Matt McGovern (Long Beach, N.Y.) finished eighth.

Raper added an eighth-place finish in the 110m hurdles. He posted a time of 15.55 to qualify for the finals on Saturday.

Benjamin Jackson (Enosburg Falls, Vt.) won his heat and finished 10th in the hammer.

Charles Buress (Westborough, Mass.) placed sixth in the javelin, posting a throw of 54.61m.

Sarah Lapham (Greenwich, N.Y.) finished fourth in the 800, posting a time of 2:29.48.

Olivia Weiss (Newton, N.J.) joined Lodge in the 1500, finishing 10th.

Jonee Harrison (Dorchester, Mass.) posted a throw of 48.02m in the hammer.

Kelsey Charette (Somers, Conn.) finished ninth in the javelin with a throw of 33.20m.