Liberty University
Liberty Collegiate Invitational
Galeone Sets Facility Javelin Record
4/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Liberty redshirt senior Elliot Galeone set a Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex facility record in the men's javelin (226-5), highlighting a breezy Friday of competition at the Liberty Collegiate Invitational.
Additionally, Krystle Matthews owns a 178-point lead in the heptathlon, after tallying 2,873 points during Friday's four disciplines.
Men's Meet Recap
All three of Galeone's legal javelin throws would have won the competition on Friday. However, his second attempt was his best of the day. Galeone's 226-5 mark shattered the facility record of 217-9, which had been set by Coastal Carolina's Thomas Jordan at the 2007 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Galeone threw 189-0 as a freshman that day, which illustrates the considerable improvement he has made during his time as a Liberty Flame.
The second Liberty Collegiate Invitational javelin crown of Galeone's career came by more than 17 feet over runner-up Sean Domer of Radford. Liberty throwers have now won the men's javelin title at this meet for five straight years.
Geren Woodbridge added a fourth-place javelin finish, thanks to a 178-3 heave on his opening attempt.
Ryan Smith matched Woodbridge's fourth-place showing with one of his own in the men's hammer. Smith saved his best throw for last, pushing his sixth attempt out to 181-7.
Redshirt freshman Harrison Allen is Liberty's top competitor in the decathlon through Friday's five events. He currently sits in fourth place in the 15-man field with 3,282 points.
Women's Meet Recap
Matthews, the 2010 Liberty Collegiate Invitational heptathlon champion, got off to a strong start on Friday in her attempt to repeat. She won the opening event, the 100 hurdles, in 14.87 seconds, and never looked back. Matthews later closed her day with a personal-best (albeit wind-aided) 200-meter dash time of 25.92 seconds.
Matthews' day one score of 2,873 puts her 178 points clear of Winston-Salem State's Crystal Webley for the overall lead.
For the second straight week, Melinda Bendik would have set a new school record in the women's hammer throw if she were not redshirting the 2011 outdoor season. She won the event for the second consecutive season, with a throw of 193-8. Only 10 other NCAA Division I women have thrown the hammer that far in 2011.
The Liberty Collegiate Invitational will resume Saturday morning at 9 a.m., with Section B of the men's 5K. The women's pole vault will be the first field event to get started, at 9:15 a.m. It will be contested inside the Tolsma Indoor Track Center, due to the anticipated cold and windy conditions Saturday morning.
