PRINCETON, N.J. - Junior middle distance runner Jordy Williamsz (Melbourne, Australia) and senior Rob Denault (Aurora, Ont.) each ran the equivalents of sub-four minute miles in the 1500 meters during competition at the Larry Ellis Invitational on Friday night. They posted times that rank second and sixth in the nation, respectively, so far this season in their races at Weaver Stadium as Villanova opened two days of competition at the meet. There were a total of 14 athletes competing for the Wildcats in three running and two throwing events on Friday night.

Williamsz came in first out of 87 runners in the Elite section of the 1500 meters with a time of 3:39.53. It is the fastest time he has recorded in the United States and represents the fourth time in his career that he has run the metric equivalent of a sub-four minute mile during the collegiate season. Pending the results of other races this weekend, the only runner in the country with a faster time this season than Williamsz is Thomas Joyce of California. Joyce posted a time of 3:39.43 - just one-tenth of a second faster than Williamsz - last weekend.

The front of the pack in the 1500 meters consisted of Williamsz, Thomas Awad of Penn and Denault. Williamsz recorded a margin of victory of just over a second, with Awad placing second in 3:40.68 and Denault placing third in 3:40.78. Denault established a new personal best mark with that time and also tallied his third career metric equivalent of a sub-four minute mile. His previous top time in the 1500 meters was 3:41.58 and was set at the 2013 NCAA East Preliminary meet. Denault moves into sixth place on the national performance list in the 1500 meters this season. The top six times are currently separated by just 1.35 seconds.

Sophomore Josh Lampron (Mansfield, Mass.), senior Dusty Solis (Colorado Springs, Colo.), senior Sam McEntee (Perth, Australia) and sophomore Patrick Tiernan (Toowoomba, Australia) also raced in the 1500 meters. Lampron and Solis were separated by less than a tenth of a second at the finish line and placed sixth and eighth, respectively. They each set personal best times in the process, with Lampron coming across the line in 3:42.83 and Solis following in 3:42.91. McEntee finished 10th with a time of 3:43.50 and Tiernan came in 15th with a personal best time of 3:45.43.

In the Elite section of the 800 meters, redshirt freshman Ben Malone (River Vale, N.J.) led a group of four Villanova runners with a personal best time of 1:49.13. Malone came in seventh overall in a field of 97 runners and was followed in short order by freshman Elliot Slade (Cardiff, United Kingdom) in ninth place (1:49.75). Freshman Ishmael Muhammad (Mays Landing, N.J.) came in 31st with a time of 1:52.12 and fifth-year senior Chris O'Sullivan (Havertown, Pa.) was 37th in 1:53.39.

Junior Robert Hurlbut (Rochester, N.Y.) and sophomore Kevin Corbusier (Monkton, Md.) each ran in the 5000 meters and placed 22nd and 48th, respectively. Hurlbut registered a time of 14:30.29 which was a mere one-hundredth of a second off his personal best time in the event. Corbusier finished with a time of 15:04.51.

In the throwing events, senior Chris Glennie (Fallsington, Pa.) and freshman Paul Sheridan (Horsham, Pa.) came in 10th and 13th, respectively, in the javelin. Glennie threw for a season-best distance of 56.93 meters and Sheridan registered a throw of 53.62 meters. Junior James Rowen (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) came in 14th in the hammer with a season-best throw of 44.42 meters.

Competition wraps up on Saturday in the Larry Ellis Invitational and the Wildcats will also have athletes in action at the Widener Invitational.

COMPLETE VILLANOVA RESULTS

Larry Ellis Invitational
Friday, April 17
Weaver Stadium
Princeton, N.J.
Day 1 of 2

800 Meters

Ben Malone              7th of 97              1:49.13Elliot Slade            9th                    1:49.75Ishmael Muhammad        31st                   1:52.12Chris O'Sullivan        37th                   1:53.39

1500 Meters

Jordy Williamsz         1st of 87              3:39.53Rob Denault             3rd                    3:40.78Josh Lampron            6th                    3:42.83Dusty Solis             8th                    3:42.91Sam McEntee             10th                   3:43.50Patrick Tiernan         15th                   3:45.43

5000 Meters

Robert Hurlbut          22nd of 81             14:30.29Kevin Corbusier         48th                   15:04.51

Hammer

James Rowen             14th of 14             44.42m

Javelin

Chris Glennie           10th of 19             56.93mPaul Sheridan           13th                   53.62m