Spalik Qualifies for ECACs at Twilight Meet
in
by:
Wally JohnsonJustin Spalik runs the 110 hurdles in Friday's Twilight Qualifier
St. Lawrence University sophomore Justin Spalik had to change his plans on Friday.
Spalik, who battled injury through much of the 2009-10 track season, was planning on heading home for the summer after SLU's Twilight Qualifier at the Merrick-Pinkard Track Complex on Friday night, but a good night in the hurdles extended his stay on campus as he qualified for next weekend's ECAC Championships in Springfield, MA with a 15.72 clocking in the 110 hurdles.
The final two days of exam week were busy ones for the Saint multi-event standout as he also competed in the decathlon and amassed 5162 points which is the fourth best point total among New York State Collegiate Track and Field Conference athletes this season. He scored over 500 points in five of the ten events in the decathlon including 743 points with a 15.91 time in the hurdles and 673 points with a 11.89 100 meters. Decathlon points are based on performance in the ten-event competition which includes the javelin, discus and shot put, long jump, high jump and pole vault, 110 hurdles, 400 meters, 100 meters and 1500 meters.
Spalik was the only Saint male to meet or improve on a qualifying mark in Friday's event which attracted athletes from the University of Rochester, Nazareth, Alfred, Union, Utica and the Ottawa Lions.
Austin Carpenter threw 50.66 meters (166-02) in the javelin, Andy Fisher ran 11.29 in the 100 meters and 23.09 in the 200, Chris Funch ran 1:56.82, Josh LeBlanc 1:57.74 and Geoff Millard 1:58.81 in the 800, and Tim Liponis ran 15:59.72 in the 5000 in other track events while Mike Scott cleared 1.88 meters in the high jump and Spalik threw 28.30 meters in the discus.