Princeton University
Miami Hurricane Alumni Invitational
Clarke Captures First-Place Finish at Hurricane Alumni Invitational
April 06, 2024 | Men's Track and Field
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The Princeton men's track and field made the long trip down to Coral Gables, Florida to take on a strong field of competition at the University of Miami. The weekend served as a testament to the team's meticulous preparation, building upon their stellar performance at the Sam Howell Invitational the previous weekend.
Kicking off day 1, sophomore Asher Robbins secured a respectable sixth place in men's hammer with a toss of 58.23 meters (191-0). In men's discus, sophomore Casey Helm led the pack with a throw of 54.00 meters (177-2), closely followed by Avery Shunneson and Joe Licata with throws of 51.59 meters and 49.42 meters respectively. The team's sole pole vaulter, Nick Molloy, cleared 4.80 meters (15-9), earning tenth place overall.
On the second day of field events, Sebastian Clatworthy cleared 2.07 meters (6-9 ½) in high jump, securing twelfth place and matching his season's best. In the elite section of men's shot put, Tyler Konopka and Joe Licata achieved season's best throws of 17.91 meters (58-9 ¼) and 17.55 meters (57-7) respectively. In the college section, Casey Helm impressed with a substantial personal record, launching the shot put to 17.73 meters (58-2) for a second-place finish. Avery Shunneson made sure all tigers made finals, recording a throw of 15.99 meters (52-5 ½) and earning eighth place.
In the hurdles, Easton Tan claimed sixth place, crossing the finish line in 14.30 seconds, while Albert Kreutzer finished twelfth with a time of 14.81 in the 110 hurdles. Aiden Silvestri led the Tigers in the 400-meter hurdles with a strong performance of 55.11 seconds, followed closely by William Doyle, who finished with a time of 56.17 seconds.
In the sprints, the men's 4x100 meter relay secured an impressive second place, narrowly trailing the Brazilian national team, with a swift time of 40.06, which earned them the fifth all-time spot on Princeton's all-time list. Freshman Xavier Donaldson led the charge in the 400 meters, clocking an impressive 46.94 seconds for fourth place. Following closely behind, freshman Kavon Miller secured sixth place with a time of 47.55 seconds. Gianluca Bianchi and Isa Hitchens finished thirteenth and sixteenth overall, respectively.
The freshman showcased their talent once again in the sprints, with Zach Della Rocca and Jackson Clarke achieving notable performances in both the 100 and 200 meters. Della Rocca and Clarke finished eighth and ninth in the 100 meters, posting impressive times of 10.39 and 10.42 seconds, respectively. Clarke continued to shine in the 200 meters, clinching victory with an outstanding time of 20.77 seconds. Zach Della Rocca and Joey Gant also performed up to par, finishing eighth and eleventh in the event.
In the mid-distance events, Joseph Fast placed second overall in the 1500 meter with a quick time of 3:56.01 seconds.The 800 meters saw an exciting display from Harrison Witt and Samuel Rodman, who finished closely together in second and third place overall with times of 1:48.20 and 1:48.37, respectively. Jordan Kaplan and Connor Chen also delivered solid performances, securing ninth and tenth place finishes.
Looking ahead, the tigers are gearing up for the Larry Ellis Invitational at home next weekend.
Players Mentioned
