NEW HAVEN, Conn. – On the second and final day of the season-opening Art Kadish Elm City Challenge hosted by Southern Connecticut State University Friday at Moore Field House, the Eastern Connecticut State University men's track and field team used a strong finish to moved up a spot and place third in an eight-team field while the women's maintained their solid grip on fourth place among nine competing institutions in the final standings.

The men totalled 91 points, behind only Division II teams University of New Haven (171) and host Southern Connecticut (117). Southern (122), Division II Franklin Pierce University (110) and New Haven (85) bested the Eastern women's final point total of 71.

On Friday, sophomores Adam Schimmelpfennig (Pomfret) and Ashley Gentile (Hebron) excelled by breaking the 55 hurdles record and winning the 600, respectively. On Saturday, senior All-New England triple-jumper Collin Wiltshire (Ledyard) won his specialty, senior Cory Bill (Mansfield) captured the 400, senior Wendie Stewart (Hartford) was the shot put champion, and first-year junior transfer Michael Parzych (Berlin) claimed the 3000. In the final event of the meet, the Eastern women and men both captured the 4x400 relay with relative ease. The women outran one other team for a winning time of 4:36.07 while the men posted a winning time of 3:40.33

Competing in the indoor heptathlon which was staged on both days, junior Aidan Hennessy (Granby) placed third overall in a field of six competitors with 4,160 points. On Saturday, Hennessy was second in the 55 hurdles (8.24), third in the 1000 (3:05.09) and tied for fourth in the pole vault (9-3). Shane Smith (4,761 points) and Dylan Torok (4,348) from host Southern Connecticut finished 1-2 in the event. Smith won three events and placed second in two and Torok won twice and was second twice.

Men's Triple Jump: Eastern went 1-2 in the five-person field. Wiltshire had his winning jump of 44-9 on his first attempt of the afternoon and junior Conor Hennessy (Granby) reached 43-2 ¼ on his fifth of six tries.

Women's Triple Jump: Sophomore Nicole Popham (Bethel) was fifth among six individuals with a mark of 33-0 ½.

Men's Weight Throw: Sophomores Jehu Angelo Armonio (Ellington) and Reece Griffin (Manchester) placed 7-8 among 12 competitors with marks of 39-3 ¾ and 37-1 3/4, respectively.

Women's Weight Throw: Four of the 15 competitors were from Eastern, which earned three of the top ten spots. Stewart was fourth (40-2 ¾), senior Daniela Morales (West Haven) eighth (37-2 ¼), first-year competitor Isabel Bellport (Rocky Point, NY) ninth (36-2) and junior Shannon Burby (Wolcott) 11^th (33-0 ¼).

Men's Shot Put: Two of the three Eastern entrants were competing in their first meet and the Warriors placed two among the top ten in the 18-person field.  Stephen Hyde (Bozrah) was seventh (41-1) and first-year junior Emmanuel Flores (Bloomfield) 17^th (31-3 ¼) and Griffin was eighth (30-10 ½).

Women's Shot Put: Stewart became the third Eastern female to reach 40 feet in the event with a PR of 40-0. Eastern placed three among the top ten in the 17-person field. Bellport was sixth (34-2 ¾), first-year performer Lilly Mae Dudek (Columbia) ninth (31-8 ¾), Morales 11^th (28-10 ½) and Burby 12^th (28-6 ¼).

Women's 400: Sophomore Haley Robertson (Tolland) finished in 1:06.36 behind the winner in a three-person field.

Men's 400: Bill won the event for the third time indoors in his career. He was clocked in 53.42 in outdistancing six other competitions. Junior  Jacob Boutote (Bristol) was fourth (57.13) and sophomore Michael Monty (Clinton) was sixth (57.68).

Women's 200: Junior Alyssa Sirianni (Vernon) led four Eastern participants in the 16-person field by placing seventh (28.56), with senior Mackenzie Dunn (Middletown) and Gentile close behind in ninth place (29.24) and tenth place (29.33), respectively. Hannah Jalowiec (Cheshire) was 13^th while competing in her first collegiate meet.

Men's 200: Sam Klein (Shelton) made his debut a success by racing to a fourth-place finish among 24 in a time of 23:39. Schimmelpfennig was ninth (23.90) and sophomore Elijah Johnson (Stratford) 20^th (25.30).

Men's 3000: With five entrees in the 11-team field, Eastern went 1-2 with Parzych and junior Thomas Stone (Glastonbury), 5-6 with sophomore Liam Stafford (Alexandria, VA) and junior Jake Haddad (Vernon) and first-year sophomore transfer Ryan Djurkovic (Riverside) tenth. Parzych was timed in 9:13.07 in the fourth-fastest time in program history to edge Stone (9:14.20/fifth-fastest time), with Stafford at 9:31.23, Haddad at 9:36.12 and Djurkovic at 10:52.78.

Women's 3000: In a field of five, senior Keara Fontaine (North Kingstown, RI) was third (12:06.32) and senior Jill McGahan (Dedham, MA) fourth (12:30.33).

Eastern is idle until competing again at Moore Field House at the William Sutherland III Invitational Jan. 22.