April 28, 2018
By Matt Paras
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – After two very successful days at Franklin Field, the Notre Dame track and field team looked to close the Penn Relays out on a high note. With some of their best athletes competing on the final day, they did just that Saturday afternoon. Graduate student Nathan Richartz highlighted the final day with his win in the Pole Vault Championship.
Richartz was the defending champion in the event and had a five-meet winning streak heading into the Penn Relays. He claimed his second-consecutive Penn Relays Championship after clearing 5.40m (17-8.5) on his first attempt and improved on last year’s winning mark. He won the event last year after clearing 5.30m. Richartz has now won all six pole vault events he has competed in this spring.
Fellow graduate student Jacob Dumford went up against a strong field of runners in the Olympic Development men’s mile. Out of a field of 14 runners, Dumford was just one of three collegiate athletes in the race. Dumford earned a top-five finish when he crossed the finish line at 4:00.00. He finished fifth overall and was the top collegiate finisher in the race.
Although Anna Rohrer was not racing on Saturday, she did pick up an accolade for her performance Thursday night. Rohrer was named the College Women’s Athlete of the Meet for Individual Events. She won the 10000m run in 33:35.24, the fastest time at the Penn Relays in 15 years.
Summer Thorpe finished her Penn Relays Saturday afternoon when she ran in the women’s 100m Hurdles Championship. Thorpe finished seventh overall with a time of 13.72, improving on her time of 13.76 from the prelims.
The Irish had two field athletes compete in Championship events on the final day of the relays. Logan Kusky placed sixth in the Hammer Throw Championship with his best mark of 60.37m (198-0). Matthew Birzer took part in the High Jump Championship and also finished sixth after clearing 2.08m (6-9.75).
The men’s 4×800 relay team of Elijah Silva, Kirk Hansen, Clay Goldman and Yared Nuguse closed the meet out for the Irish. Running in the 4x800m Championship of American Invitational, the relay team finished sixth overall with a time of 7:25.74. That time ranks fourth all-time in school history.
Up Next
Notre Dame returns to action at the Billy Hayes Invitational at 3 p.m. ET on May 4 at Indiana’s Haugh Track Complex.
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Matt Paras, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since January 2018. In his role, he coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse and cross country/track & field programs. A native of Warwick, Rhode Island, Paras is a graduate of the University of Louisville where he completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sport Administration. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, he worked at Vanderbilt University as the sports information contact for the women’s soccer and lacrosse programs.