May 12, 2008
EAST STROUDSBURG - Senior Iuri Pinto ran a season-best time in the 1500 at Allegheny on Friday and won the Penn State Open on Saturday, and sophomore Janelle Smith won the high jump at the NYC Challenge to highlight the weekend on the track for East Stroudsburg University.
Smith cleared 5-7 to reach the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying mark for the national championships, which will be held on Memorial Day weekend at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. The field is expected to be announced on Tuesday.
Pinto, who was named ESU's Male Senior Athlete of the Year last week, ran a time of 3:51.27 at Allegheny and clocked a winning time of 3:53.73 at Penn State. He is on the list of national qualifiers in the 1500 and 5000.
Sophomores Kenny Cardullo and Paul Wagner also competed at the NYC Challenge at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in New York. Cardullo was fourth in the javelin with a throw of 190-7, and Wagner was fifth in the hammer at 164-4.
Pinto and Smith were two of a school-record five athletes that were selected for the indoor championships in March, along with freshman high jumper Lynn Mayer, sophomore triple jumper Drew Miller and sophomore hurdler Rusty Smith. Mayer and Smith both earned All-America honors.
Sophomore Matt Gallup is an automatic qualifier in the pole vault after clearing 16-8 3/4 to win the PSAC championship last weekend, and eight other Warriors have a chance to be selected for the national championship meet.
Mayer, Smith and sophomore Trina Carito have reached the provisional standard in the high jump. Carito won the PSAC championship in the heptathlon, and sophomore Kahla Doran is qualified in the javelin.
Cardullo, Miller, Pinto and Wagner are all provisional qualifiers on the men's side.
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