Dec. 7, 2013
Complete Results | Photo Gallery 
HAVERFORD, Pa. - Villanova won seven running events, including the 4x400 meter relay, and started off the season in successful fashion at the Jack Pyrah Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The meet was hosted by the Wildcats for the 11th straight season at Alumni Field House on the Haverford College campus, where nine local teams were in competition.
Sophomore Donald Urschel (East Brunswick, N.J.) won the 300 meters with a time of 35.47 and also anchored the winning 4x400 relay. Villanova produced a 1-2-3 finish in the 300 meters, with Urschel being followed by junior Bryan Murphy (Teaneck, N.J.) in second place (35.63) and freshman Ayomide Obadare (Elmont, N.Y.) in third (35.74).
Each of those three runners also ran in the 4x400 relay, which the Wildcats won with a time of 3:21.03. Murphy led off and was followed by Obadare, sophomore Alex Reber (Cherry Hill, N.J.) and Urschel. Villanova also had the third place team in the relay with a lineup that included freshman Kyle Cartwright (Oyster Bay, N.Y.), sophomore Joseph Messick (Montgomery, N.J.), freshman Peter Winslow (Stratham, N.H.) and junior Cory Serfoss (Easton, Pa.).
Sophomores Donald Urschel (East Brunswick, N.J.) and Alex Reber (Cherry Hill, N.J.) each were individual winners and also ran a leg on the winning 4x400 relay. Urschel captured the 300 meters with a time of 35.47 and led a 1-2-3 Villanova finish in the event. Reber came in first out of 18 runners in the 500 meters with a time of 1:05.90.
Urschel also set a personal best time in the 60 meters, where he came in fourth out of 32 sprinters with a time of 7.12. Murphy finished in fifth place in the event (7.15). Messick won the 60 meter hurdles in 8.74, while sophomore Aaron Sandifer (Harrisburg, N.C.) was the runner-up with a time of 8.77. Reber won the 500 meters in 1:05.90 to pace a field of 18 runners. Serfoss and Messick placed sixth and 10th in the 500 meters with respective times of 1:07.14 and 1:08.68, each personal bests. Cartwright finished seventh in the event in 1:07.55.
In the middle distance events, senior Samuel Ellison (Dresher, Pa.) won the 1000 meters and redshirt freshman Josh Lampron (Mansfield, Mass.) was victorious in the Mile. Ellison crossed the finish line in the 1000 meters in 2:28.35, while Winslow finished in fourth place (2:31.55). Lampron's time of 4:18.33 paced a field of 13 in the Mile, with juniors Chris O'Sullivan (Havertown, Pa.) and Chris Pietrocarlo (Hampstead, N.H.) posting times of 4:23.06 and 4:35.03 to come in fourth and 10th, respectively.
The final victory for the Wildcats was in the 3000 meters, where Brent Johnson finished first in 8:26.49.
In the field events the top Villanova finishers were senior Chris Dougherty (Cherry Hill, N.J.) and sophomore James Rowen (Rockville Centre, N.Y.), who finished as runners-up in their respective events. Dougherty placed second in the pole vault (4.40m) and Rowen was second in the shot put (13.62m). Rowen registered a personal best in the weight throw (13.25m) to come in eighth overall, while senior Drew King (New Haven, Conn.) also set a new personal best and placed fifth in 14.67 meters.
Freshman Denis Ostick (Havertown, Pa.) came in fourth in the triple jump with a personal best mark of 13.02 meters, while junior Elbert Maxwell (Pittsburgh, Pa.) took third place in the long jump (6.52 meters).
Each year since 2003 the Jack Pyrah Invitational has been held to honor the longtime Villanova coach. A bench in Jack Pyrah's name was dedicated in Villanova Stadium in 2010 to commemorate the Jack Pyrah Endowment Fund surpassing $100,000 in donations.
Next up for the Wildcats is the Gotham Cup, which will be held at the New York Armory in the Bronx on January 10.
COMPLETE VILLANOVA RESULTS
60 Meters
Donald Urschel 4th of 32 7.12Bryan Murphy 5th 7.15
60 Meter Hurdles
Joseph Messick 1st of 5 8.74Aaron Sandifer 2nd 8.77
300 Meters
Donald Urschel 1st of 38 35.47Bryan Murphy 2nd 35.63Ayomide Obadare 3rd 35.74Aaron Sandifer 17th 37.93
500 Meters
Alex Reber 1st of 18 1:05.90Cory Serfoss 6th 1:07.14Kyle Cartwright 7th 1:07.55Joseph Messick 10th 1:08.68
1000 Meters
Samuel Ellison 1st of 9 2:28.35Peter Winslow 4th 2:31.55
Mile
Josh Lampron 1st of 13 4:18.33Chris O'Sullivan 4th 4:23.06Chris Pietrocarlo 10th 4:35.03
3000 Meters
Brent Johnson 1st of 16 8:26.49Charlie Bates 5th 8:46.54Colin O'Mara 9th 9:19.56
4x400 Meter Relay
Villanova `A' 1st of 12 3:21.03Bryan MurphyAyomide ObadareAlex ReberDonald Urschel
Villanova `B' 3rd 3:27.20Kyle CartwrightJoseph MessickPeter WinslowCory Serfoss
Pole Vault
Chris Dougherty 2nd of 8 4.40mKolby Koeck 3rd 4.25mPJ Succi 4th 4.10m
Long Jump
Elbert Maxwell 3rd of 11 6.52mDanny Jackson 5th 6.43m
Triple Jump
Denis Ostick 4th of 5 13.02m
Shot Put
James Rowen 2nd of 8 13.62mDan Sullivan 7th 12.18m
Weight Throw
Drew King 5th of 13 14.67mJames Rowen 8th 13.25mJohn McDonald 11th 11.23mDan Sullivan 12th 11.13m
VILLANOVA RUNNERS COMPETING UNATTACHED
Mile
Michael Palmisano 2nd of 12 4:18.93Ben Malone 5th 4:23.78
