ORLANDO, Fla. - The Panther men's outdoor track team returned on Friday with the Black and Gold Invite, an event featuring several Division I programs, at the UCF Soccer and Track Complex.
Tech's first event of the evening was the 400 Meter Hurdles, where Filippo Bessi earned 14th place thanks to a time of 55.34. Diego Estebanes (58.39) placed 28th and Jason Hargesheimer (58.69) took 29th.
Anthony Akpan was the lone Crimson and Gray runner in the 200 Meters, placing 32nd with a 21.69 finish that was .52s shy of qualifying for the NCAA Division II Championships.
Ben Peck was the fastest Panther across the line in the 1500 Meters at 3:57.70, which was good for 36th place and the sixth fastest time by a Division II runner. Lachlan McCure (4:01.11) finished 52nd and Dominic Longobardi (4:05.24) placed 59th.
Tyler Herrera was Tech's top finisher in the 5000 Meters, finishing 21st thanks to a time of 15:28.66. Thomas Carpenter crossed the line shortly afterward (15:33.35) for 23rd, Jake Greene (15:51.11) took 27th, and Jack Schule (15:57.17) finished 32nd.
Closing out the night, Florida Tech's best performer in the 10,000 Meters was Niels Buitenhuis, who earned 15th place with a time of 31:50.61. Making up 30th through 32nd were Alex Larrivee (35:44.36), Alvaro Cameo (36:43.12) and Brycen Haner (37:13.99).
As the Panthers' lone representative in the javelin, Nathan Davis' throw finished with a distance of 47.21 meters, the seventh-best distance by a Division II competitor.
UP NEXT: The Panthers return to Orlando tomorrow for Day Two of competition, beginning at 12:55 P.M. with the 800 Meters.
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Florida Tech men's track team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
