Murtagh Eclipses Hurdle Mark to Lead Men's Track & Field at ECSU Invitational

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Conor Murtagh (Walpole, Mass.) eclipsed a 34-year old school mark in the 110-meter hurdles to lead the Bridgewater State University men's track and field team to a first place finish at the 8th Annual ECSU Invitational hosted by Eastern Connecticut State University on Friday.

The Bears recorded a team score of 225 points to finish ahead of Trinity College (161 pts.) and host Eastern Connecticut (155 pts.). Mass. Maritime (83 pts.), UMass Boston (55 pts.), Post (17 pts.) and Lasell (8 pts.) rounded out the scoring.

Murtagh posted a finals and meet-record time of 14.80 seconds to break the Bears' previous outdoor mark of 15.0 seconds set by Louis D'Allesandro in 1980. Murtagh, who qualified for DIII New Englands, ECACs and NEICAAAs, currently ranks fifth in the hurdles.  He also finished second in the 400-hurdles (58.41) and qualified for DIII New Englands.

Joshua Danner-Hicks (Haverhill, Mass.) set the meet record in the triple jump with a leap of 46 feet, 10.75 inches (14.29 meters).  Danner Hicks also placed third in the 200-meter dash (22.77) as he qualified for DIII New Englands in the event.

Six other Bears' were event winners. Joseph Danner-Hicks (Haverhill, Mass.) placed first in the 100-meter dash with a finals time of 11.09 seconds (10.91 preliminary).  He qualified for all three regional postseason meets in the 100 with his preliminary time.  Danner-Hicks, who ranks 19th nationally in the 100, also finished fourth in the 200 (22.78) and qualified for DIII New Englands in the event.

Kevin Sawyer (Woburn, Mass.) was the top placewinner in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.24 seconds.  Sawyer qualified for all three regional postseason meets.

Brian Espinosa (Rehoboth, Mass.) captured top honors in the 200-meter dash (21.71), while Dallas O'Brien (Mansfield, Mass.) was the first to cross the line in the 5,000-meter run (16:20.44). Espinosa, who has qualified for all three regional postseason meets, currently ranks seventh in all of Division III in the 200.

Christian Lavoie (Marion, Mass.) won the shot put with a toss of 46 feet, 9.5 inches (14.26 meters).  Lavoie also finished fourth in the discus (139'11"/42.64m) and qualified for DIII New Englands. Nathaniel Meyer (South Easton, Mass.) rounded out the Bears' event winners as he posted a distance of 162 feet, one inch (49.41 meters) in the javelin.

Matt Horan (Billerica, Mass.) placed third in the 110-meter hurdles (15.65) and qualified for all three regional postseason meets.

Ian Knapton (Mattapoisett, Mass.) finished second in the long jump (21'1.5"/6.44m) and qualified for DIII New Englands.

Stephan Cawley (Dedham, Mass.) posted a distance of 146 feet, one inch (44.54 meters) in the discus to place third at the meet and qualify for ECACs.

Next weekend, the Bears will compete at the Larry Ellis Invitational hosted by Princeton University as well as the Eric Loeschner Meet hosted by Fitchburg State University.