YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Geneva College men's track and field team put together a tremendous team effort on Thursday to capture the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Indoor Championship for the fourth time in program history, the first one since 2020.  The men broke multiple school records on the way to their championship victory, hosted at Youngstown State University, finishing with a team score of 113, defeating second-place Grove City by 19 points.  The men's victory paired with the women's championship gave Geneva two trophies to bring back to College Hill.

Sophomore Abe Konneh was the top performer for the men, winning the 60-meter race with a school record time of 6.84 seconds and then adding a second victory in the 200-meter race with a time of 21.48 seconds, another school record that puts him in contention to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships in two weeks.  Konneh also ran on the 4x400-meter relay team that set a school record with a time of 3:21.66 that placed the relay team second overall.  Senior Seth Tyson, along with freshmen Tyler Boyle and Titus Mathews, also ran on the school record relay team.

Mathews captured his own school record in the 400-meter race, finishing with a time of 49.06 seconds, which would have been even faster had he not got bumped by another runner and slowed down slightly on the final turn.  That placed him fourth overall in the fastest 400-meter race in PAC history.

Junior Isaac Nirella came up with a huge performance in the pole vault, placing third overall with a school record height of 4.55 meters.  That gave the men more points than they expected in the event early in the day and instilled a confidence that Geneva could upset Grove City, who was voted the favorite earlier in the week.

Freshman Stanford Webb was also another performer who gave the men a boost early in the meet.  Webb had yet to compete this season for the track and field team after playing for the men's basketball team that wrapped up its season on Tuesday in the PAC Quarterfinals.  Webb broke the school record in the long jump, jumping 6.81 meters, on his very first collegiate jump.  He later increased that school record to 6.85 meters, which placed him third.  Graduate student Jack Garvin added a fourth-place finish in the event with a jump of 6.66 meters, while freshman Amiri Copeland placed sixth with a jump of 6.40 meters.

The men also had a trio of placers in the triple jump.  Copeland finished fourth with a jump of 12.60 meters, Garvin placed fifth with an effort of 12.51 meters, and freshman Cooper Wilkins, another member of the men's basketball team that was making his first appearance for track and field this season, finished sixth with a jump of 12.45 meters.  Garvin also brought home a fifth-place finish in a very competitive high jump event, clearing 1.94 meters, giving Garvin three separate jumping events he scored for the men at the meet.

Geneva's distance team also had a standout day.  Senior Eli Eisenberger had a great kick at the end of the 5000-meters, finishing second overall with a time of 15:20.34, one of four Golden Tornadoes to earn points in the event.  Senior Tommy Corbin had a big personal record to finish third with a time of 15:24.08.  Sophomore Ethan Haring was right behind in fourth place with a time of 15:24.85, while sophomore Matt Otto placed seventh with a time of 15:35.83.

Eisenberger also brought home another second-place finish in the 3000-meters with a time of 9:00.53.  Corbin was fifth in the event with a time of 9:03.68, while Otto placed seventh with a time of 9:09.15.

That trio also helped Geneva earn points in the Distance Medley Relay, along with freshman Alex Mastoris, as the men finished sixth with a time of 11:19.48.

Freshman Corban Hunter earned points for Geneva in the shot put with a toss of 12.84 meters, placing him fifth overall, while freshman Zach Lucas scored in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.03 seconds, placing him seventh.

Konneh was named the Co-Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year for his performance at the meet, while Head Coach Phil Thompson was named the Men's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year for the team he put together.

Thursday's championship meet marks the end of the indoor season for most of the squad, with Konneh the one member that has a chance to qualify for the Division III National meet scheduled for March 13-14 in Birmingham, Alabama.  The rest of the team will be in Myrtle Beach that week over Spring Break, preparing for their first outdoor meet at the Myrtle Beach Collegiate Challenge, also hosted on March 13-14.