RESULTS

Durham, NC - Terrier sophomore Jochen Dieckfoss (Tubingen, Germany) set a personal best in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 8:51 to highlight the men's track and field team's performance at last weekend's (April 5-6) Duke Invitational in Durham, NC.

Dieckfoss, who was the MVP of the Terrier cross country team last fall, led the field from start to finish in the steeplechase as he established himself as one of the top performers in the event on the East Coast.

While Dieckfoss led the way for the Terriers at Duke, there were a number of other outstanding efforts.

On Friday (April 5th), competing in unseasonably cool weather that had temperatures in the mid-40s, senior co-captain Brian Irwin (Needham) started things off on a positive note by recording a personal best in the 400 intermediate hurdles with a time of :55.04. This was a far cry from a year ago at Duke when Irwin tripped over the last hurdle in the event and lost almost a second off his time. Seeded next to last in the event this year, Irwin ran the fourth fastest time of the day.

"This year, Brian ran a more relaxed race," said Terrier men's coach Pete Schuder. "As a result, he was able to power over the last two hurdles."

Junior Matt Adler (Scottsdale, AZ) continued to show signs of developing into a very good 200 to 400-meter runner, as he recorded an excellent :21.74 in the 200 on Friday. He ran into a strong wind and finished second behind a runner from the University of Michigan who had been a California State high school champion in the event.

"Matt looked very strong," said Schuder. "He drove hard and barely missed winning his section in the 200."

In the 400, junior Chris Brandon (Las Cruces, NM) ran a strong 400, recording a time of :48.69, while junior Steve Deppe (Metuchen, NJ) was timed in :47.07 in the same event. Later in the meet, Brandon came back to record a :22.24 in the 200.

"Both looked a bit tight in the 400," said Schuder. "Even so, they did show signs of better things to come.

On Friday night, junior Jordan Jones (Medford), senior Paul Ryan (Waltham, VT), and junior Robert Wong (Fayetteville, NY), all of who ran for the Terriers' cross country team last fall, set personal bests in the 5000. Wong started things off in his section, running a personal best 14:56.52. His time lowered his person best by over nine seconds, as it was the first time in his career that he was able to break 15 minutes in the 5K.

Jones and Ryan ran in the fast section of the 5K, and it was Jones who came through with his best personal time of 14:31.58, which qualified him for the IC4As.

"He ran a very relaxed, steady race," Schuder said of Jones' effort. "He stayed out of traffic and gradually moved up toward the front of the pack."

In the meantime, Ryan tried to run with the pack, but had some difficulty with having to constantly step back of the runners who were in front of him, causing him to stop and go through much of the race. He still managed to hold on and finish with a personal best of 14:36.376.

Saturday's highlights including Dieckfoss' effort in the steeplechase. In addition, Alder came back with determination in the 400 as he qualified for the championship section. Seeded with the slowest time in the fourth section, he responded by running a :48.11, which placed him 13th overall.

"Matt proved that he was a true competitor," said Schuder. "He ran a strong back stretch and then came off the final turn in the lead. He held off his competition easily and ended with his :48.11. I think he is ready to break into the 47-second range once the warmer weather comes along."

The Terriers' 4x400 relay team ran a respectable 3:14.35, which finished fourth overall. The four runners included Irwin, who had already run the high hurdles, the 400 intermediate hurdles, the 4x100 relay, and had thrown the javelin, Brandon, Deppe, and Adler. Their splits in the 4x400 included a :50.4 by Irwin, a :48.4 by Brandon, a :47.9 by Deppe, and a :47.4 by Adler.