May 6, 2012

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Jake Nichols (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson) claimed the silver medal in the decathlon to lead McDaniel to a seventh-place finish at the 2012 Centennial Conference (CC) men's outdoor track and field championship hosted by Ursinus on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Green Terror amassed 42 points at the nine-team, three-day championship. Haverford edged Johns Hopkins 177-172 for the team championship.

Nichols totaled a personal-best 5,834 points over the 10 events that included winning the 110 hurdles (16.50 seconds), pole vault (3.75 meters) and discus (33.56).

Nichols also finished fourth in the open hurdles (16.21 seconds) and pole vault (3.81 meters). In the hurdles, he trimmed 0.48 seconds off his preliminary time and improved one place.

Jordan Birden (Baltimore, Md./Cristo Rey Jesuit) nabbed a second medal for McDaniel, taking third in the high jump by clearing 1.87 meters.

Birden was also 18th in the long jump, leaping 5.45 meters.

Ron Shriver (Westminster, Md./Francis Scott Key) and Kyle Dunn (Crofton, Md./South River) joined Nichols in the decathlon. Shriver was 10th with 3,679 points while Dunn was 11th with 3,503 points.

Shriver's best event was the 1,500. He crossed second in a time of 4:42.46. Dunn had four sixth-place showings, which came in the 100 (11.91 seconds), high jump (1.64 meters), shot put (10.24) and discus (27.09).

Chuck Kromiller (Norristown, Pa./Methacton) just missed a medal in the javelin, finishing fourth with a throw of 52.08 meters. He was also 17th in the shot put (11.36) and 21st in the discus (31.00).

Woody Butler (Smithsburg, Md./Middletown) was the workhorse of the open events, competing in six events. He finished fifth in the high jump (1.77) and javelin (51.88) and sixth in the shot put (13.25) to amass 11 team points by himself.

Butler was also ninth in the long jump (6.25) and 10th in the triple jump (12.32). He placed 16th in the discus (32.02).

Nate Bell (Taneytown, Md./Francis Scott Key) and Carlos Hernandez (Derwood, Md./Magruder) rounded out the competitors in the throws. Bell was 12th in the shot put (34.84) and 13th in the shot put (12.06) while Hernandez was 11th in the discus (35.47) and 14th in the shot put (12.02).

Caleb Phillips (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson), Louis Lachman (Woodstock, Md./Marriots Ridge), Matthew Peterson (Littleton, Colo./Lakewood) and Peter Merkel (Ellicott City, Md./Homeschool) finished seventh in the 4x800-meter relay with a combined time of 8:19.84.

Phillips, Peterson and Lachman joined Birden to finish ninth in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:38.88.

Team Scores: 1. Haverford 177, 2. Johns Hopkins 172, 3. Dickinson 132, 4. Muhlenberg 114, 5. Ursinus 73, 6. Franklin & Marshall 50, 7. McDaniel 42, 8. Gettysburg 31, 9. Swarthmore 27.

McDaniel Results: 110 Hurdles Prelims: 5q. Jake Nichols 16.69; 110 Hurdles Finals: 4. Nichols 16.21; 4x400 Relay: 9. Caleb Phillips, Matt Peterson, Louis Lachman, Jordan Birden 3:38.88; 4x800 Relay: 7. Phillips, Lachman, Peterson, Peter Merkel 8:19.84; High Jump: 3. Birden 1.87m (6-1 ½), 5. Woody Butler 1.77m (5-9 ¾); Pole Vault: 4J. Nichols 3.81m (12-6); Long Jump: 9. Butler 6.25m (20-6 ¼), 18. Birden 5.45m (17-10 ¾); Triple Jump: 10. Butler 12.32m (40-5); Shot Put: 6. Butler 13.25m (43-5 ¾), 13. Nate Bell 12.06m (39-7), 14. Carlos Hernandez 12.02m (39-5 ¼), 17. Chuck Kronmiller 11.36m (37-3 ¼); Discus: 11. Hernandez 35.47m (116-4), 12. Bell 34.84m (114-4), 16. Butler 32.02m (105-1), 21. Kronmiller 31.00m (101-8); Javelin: 4. Kronmiller 52.08m (170-10), 5. Butler 51.88m (170-2); Decathlon: 2. Nichols 5834, 10. Ron Shriver 3679, 11. Kyle Dunn 3503.

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