Apr 5, 2008

Dinas wins high jump and hurdles, breaks record

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Sophomore Gregory Dinas (Stamford, Conn.) won two events – breaking his own record in the 110 meter hurdles in the process – and eight personal bests were set Saturday by the Warriors at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Track & Field Invitational.

Dinas, who earned All-New England and All-ECAC honors in last year’s outdoor season in the high jump last year, won the high jump (6-5) and the 110 meter hurdles in a program-record time of 15.64. Dinas’ time in the 110 meter hurdles broke his own record of 15.89 which he set last May 7 at the New England Division III meet and qualified him for both the ECAC Division III and New England Open championships. It marked the sixth time in his two-year outdoor career that Dinas has won the high jump and was his second first-place finish in the hurdles.

Additional personal bests were turned in by Dinas in the long jump, freshman Josh Styles (Branford), junior Anthony Mendes (North Windham), junior Matt Pyne (Wallingford) in the pole vault, junior Tyler Banville (Rockville) in the discus, and freshman Mike D’Elia (Windham) at 400 meters. Styles set PRs at 100 (11.95) and 200 (23.99) meters, Dinas in the long jump (20-3), Mendes (4:50.04) at 1,500 meters, Banville in the discus (111-5), and D’Elia at 400 meters (52.02). Banville also missed qualifying for the New England Division III Championship in the hammer by four inches.

As a team, Eastern placed fourth in a field of 11 in the meet, won in a landslide by host Coast Guard. The Bears recorded 234.5 points to easily outdistance runner-up Trinity College (136). Eastern totalled 63 points.

Eastern hosts its first-ever track and field invitational Saturday at 11 a.m.