RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Manhattan College men's track & field team will be well-represented at this weekend's USATF Junior Outdoor Championships. Edward Brentnall (Atlanta, Ga.), Greg Perrier (Dix Hills, N.Y.) and Phil Ragan (Belmar, N.J.) will all be in action at Indiana University's Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex from June 15-17 looking to clinch berths at next month's World Junior Championships.
Brentnall will contest the hammer throw and Ragan will toss the javelin, while Perrier is entered in the 800 meters. All three events get underway on Friday. The hammer throw begins at 2 p.m., and the javelin competition starts at 6 p.m. The qualifying heats of the men's 800 are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Friday, with the final set for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Brentnall is among the top qualifiers in the men's hammer throw. His personal-best with the 6 kg hammer (which is lighter than the implement used in NCAA competition) is 61.04 meters (200 feet, three inches). Ragan set a school-record in the javelin with a toss of 64.95 m (213'1) at the FDU Knight Invitational on April 1. He also took third in the event at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Outdoor Championships. Perrier won the 800 at the MAAC Outdoor Championships in a personal-best time of 1:50.63, which is faster than the World Juniors qualifying standard.
The USATF Junior Championships serve as the qualifying meet for the World Junior Championships, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from July 10-15. The top two finishers in each event, provided they've met the World Juniors qualifying standard, will represent the United States in Barcelona.
