Frye’s Record Breaking Toss Paces Men’s Track and Field at MTSU Valentine Invitational

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont men's track and field team continued to excel in its final tune up before the Atlantic Sun Indoor Championships next week. The Bruins competed at the MTSU Valentine Invitational over the weekend, coming away with 15 top-10 finishes at the meet.

Senior Joe Frye (Roscommon, Mich.) dominated in the throwing events, taking first in the both the shot put and the weight throw. In the shot put, he won the event with a toss of 14.74m (51'7.75"), more than five feet farther than the second-place finisher. In the weight throw, Frye continued to shine, recording the top mark of 19.93m (65'4.75"), nearly nine feet more than the second-place toss. His mark shattered the Belmont record he set earlier this season and now stands as the best in the Atlantic Sun. Frye's toss is also tied for 29^th-best in the nation in the event and qualifies him for the USA Indoor National Championships. Classmate Pierce Greenberg (Raleigh, N.C.) took fifth in the shot put (11.58m) and seventh in the weight throw (14.74m).

In the mid and long distance, the Bruins also fared well. Freshman Marcus Bridger-Wilkinson (Newbury, England) was BU's top getter, taking second in the 800m with a time of 1:57.88. Three other Bruins rounded out the event- freshmen Brien Pafford (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Tyler Newkirk (Atchison, Kan.) and sophomore Andrew Mullins (Chattanooga, Tenn.), who finished 10^th (2:03.11), 12^th (2:03.91) and 14^th (2:12.81), respectively. In the Mile, freshman Erick Kigen (Eldoret, Kenya) took third with a time of 4:16.69. Sophomore Josh Helton (Franklin, Tenn.) and senior Clay Hannah (Lebanon, Tenn.) also competed in the event, finishing ninth (4:24.13) and 12^th (4:31.94), respectively. In the 3000m, sophomore Matt Miller (LaPorte, Ind.) led the Bruins taking fifth with a time of 8:51.84. Classmate Brandon Mahaney (Lafayette, Tenn.) and freshman Evan Scruton (Columbus, Ind.) took eighth (9:13.48) and 12^th (9:20.82), respectively.

In the sprints, freshman Zach Gray (Lee's Summitt, Mo.) just missed a top-10 finish in the 200m by two-hundredths of a second, crossing the line in 22.93. Classmate Caleb Darnell (Lafayette, Tenn.) took sixth in the 400m with a time of 51.98.

Complete results are available here.

Belmont returns to action on Friday, February 18 at the Atlantic Sun Indoor Championships in Johnson City, Tenn.