ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Peter Merkel (Ellicott City, Md./Homeschool) finished fifth in the 1,000 with a program-record time of 2:35.08 to lead McDaniel to a fourth-place finish at the Navy Invitational in men's indoor track and field action on Saturday.
As a team, the Green Terror finished with 15 points. Navy won the meet with 96 points.
Jim Heilman (Lutherville, Md./Baltimore Lutheran) also finished fifth, posting a 14-second personal best in the mile. His Centennial Conference (CC)-qualifying time of 4:28.96 ranks fourth on the program's all-time list.
Alex Panagakos (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll) finished ninth in the 400 with a CC-qualifying time of 52.27 seconds, which ranks fifth all-time.
Kyle Dunn (Crofton, Md./South River) rounded out the quartet of top-10 all-time performers, finishing fourth in the shot put with a toss of 13.35 meters. The conference-qualifying mark is seventh on the program's list.
Jordan Birden (Baltimore, Md./Cristo Rey Jesuit) turned in the best finish of the day, placing third in the high jump, clearing a CC-qualifying height of 1.84 meters. He also hit the conference mark with an eighth-place finish in the long jump (6.07).
John Alexander (Lutherville, Md./Calvert Hall) rounded out conference qualifiers, finishing 10th in the 400 with a time of 54.31seconds.
Calvin Ball (Westminster, Md./Westminster) finished fourth in the 3,000 with a time of 9:50.99 while Andrew Valliere (Laurel, Md./Atholton) was sixth in the 1,000 with a time of 3:28.30.
Aaron Ferguson (Greenbelt, Md./Wheaton) finished ninth in both the 60 (7.67 seconds) and 200 (25.79) on the track and was eighth in the long jump (5.08 meters).
Loi Nguyen (Crofton, Md./South River) joined Ferguson in the same three events. He was seventh in the long jump (5.30 meters) and 10th in both the 60 (7.77 seconds) and 200 (25.91).
Merkel, Heilman and Panagakos joined Chris Jones (Centreville, Va./Centreville) to finish second in the 4x800-meter relay with a time of 8:30.17.
Connor Heavner (Frederick, Md./Urbana) and Brandon Creyer (Blandon, Pa./Fleetwood Area) rounded out the competitors in the shot put. Heavner was fifth (11.88 meters) while Creyer was seventh (11.09). Kevin Rosenthal (Glenelg, Md./Glenelg) competed in exhibition and threw a distance of 10.13 meters.
The Green Terror returns to action at the Patriot Games hosted by George Mason on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Team Scores: 1. Navy 96, 2. Coppin State 39, 3. Delaware State 18, 4. McDaniel 15, 5. NAPS 7.
McDaniel Results: 60 Prelims: 9. Aaron Ferguson 7.67, 10. Loi Nguyen 7.77; 200: 9. Ferguson 25.79, 10. Nguyen 25.91; 400: 9. Alex Panagakos 52.27*, 10. John Alexander 54.31*; 1,000: 5. Peter Merkel 2:35.08^, 6. Andrew Valliere 3:28.30; Mile: 5. Jim Heilman 4:28.96*; 3,000: 4. Calvin Ball 9:50.99; 4x800 Relay: 2. Merkel, Heilman, Panagakos, Chris Jones 8:30.17; High Jump: 3. Jordan Birden 1.84m (6-0 ½)*; Long Jump: 8. Birden 6.07m (19-11)*, 7. Nguyen 5.30m (17-4 ¾), 8. Ferguson 5.08m (16-8); Shot Put: 4. Kyle Dunn 13.35m (43-9 ¾)*, 5. Connor Heavner 11.88m (38-11 ¾), 7. Brandon Creyer 11.09m (36-4 ¾), x-Kevin Rosenthal 10.13m (33-3).
* Centennial Conference qualifying standard, ^ program record
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