Dec. 4, 2011

Results

Junior Evan White (Tewksbury, Mass.) won the 400 meters while first-year sophomore Ryad Bencheikh (Woburn, Mass.) won the 500 meters to lead the UMass Lowell men’s track and field team at the season-opening Northeastern University Jay Carisella Invitational Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center.

The non-scoring, season-opening meet drew colleges from all three NCAA divisions as well as athletes representing postgraduate clubs around New England.

White won the 400 meters in 49.01 seconds and edged junior teammate Craig Bennett (Milton, Mass.), who took second in 49.12, by 0.11 seconds.

Benchiekh won the 500 meters in 1:04.07, just 1.05 seconds off the school record of 1:03.02 set by Diego Pinheiro in 2006. Senior Jeff Wundt (Southwick, Mass.) placed fourth overall and second in the Division II-III field in 1:05.68.

Sophomore Jake Connors (Winthrop, Mass.) placed in a tie for fourth (second) in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 4.0 inches.

Freshman Patrick Greaney (Mansfield, Mass.) and sophomore Jamal Abu-Hijleh (Peabody, Mass.) placed sixth and 10th, respectively, in the long jump. Greaney leaped to a distance of 20’ 8.0’’ while Abu-Hijleh went 20’ 3.75’’.

Sophomore Kevin Peter (North Attleboro, Mass.) took seventh in the weight throw with a distance of 50’ 6.25’’.

UMass Lowell enters the Reggie Poyau Invitational at Brandeis University next Saturday.