The Middlebury men's track and field team began its 2024 indoor campaign with a second-place showing at the Middlebury Snowflake Invitational on Saturday. The University of Vermont won the meet with 221.5 points, while the Panthers were second with 157 and Plymouth State rounded out the top three (117).
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury opened the meet by claiming the top-five spots in the weight throw. Dave Filias won the event with a toss of 14.98 meters, while Samuel Maxwell (14.43m) and Dan Urchuk (14.00m) rounded out the top-three places.
• Filias continued his strong start to the season with a victory in the shot put at 12.93m. Urchuk was just behind him with a toss of 12.90m.
• In the 60-meter hurdles, Aiden Tam won his first collegiate event, crossing the finish line in 8.57 seconds. Jefferson Hill placed third with a time of 8.65, while Finn Albright (8.82) and Parker Loupessis (8.83) claimed the fourth and fifth spots.
• Caleb Smith finished as the runner-up in the high jump, clearing the bar with a leap of 1.85m in his penultimate jump.
• In the 60m dash, three Panthers earned spots in the top five. Marco Motroni secured third place, crossing the finish line in 7.10, while Daryl Edwards and Xander Swann were fourth and fifth with identical times of 7.28.
• Sam Opawuyi was victorious in the triple jump, leaping 13.05m to claim his first collegiate triumph. 
• Xander Swann finished in second place during the 200m with a clocking of 23.16. 
• Middlebury secured the top-two places in the pole vault. Joel Kofman finished first, clearing the bar at 4.25m, while Michael Vanesko was the runner-up with a height of 3.80m.

NOTES

• Urchuk and Maxwell earned personal bests in the weight throw.
• Tony Wang finished the 200m in 24.91 and the 60m in 7.63, which were both personal-best clockings.
• Hill also secured a personal-best time of 7.46 in the 60m.

The Panthers are idle until next Friday when they host the two-day Middlebury Winter Classic which begins at 2:00 p.m.