Men's Track & Field | 5/14/2010 12:13:22 PM

SPRINGFIELD, MA - Junior pole vaulter Michael Dempsey and junior thrower Brian Walker (Brockport, NY/Brockport) continued their assault on the RIT record book, as the men's track and field squad competed at the ECAC Championships hosted by Springfield College.  RIT placed 17th out of 48 teams after with 17 points.

Dempsey broke his own school record and recorded the second highest leap in all of Division III this season, vaulting 5.10 meters (16' - 8.75") to win the event on Thursday.  He won the event handily, as the next best jump was 4.80 meters.  Dempsey, who was the national runner-up at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships, recently vaulted 5.07 meters to defeat 22 Division I athletes at the prestigious Penn Relays on April 23.  He will compete at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 27 in Berea, Ohio. 

Junior Brian Walker (Brockport, NY/Brockport) broke a 36-year old school record in the hammer throw, finishing eighth overall with a toss of 51.50 meters.  Jon Koch set the previous record of 50.86 meters in 1974.

Junior sprinter Matt Marion (Lima, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) placed third out of 22 runners in the 400-meter hurdles with a strong time of 53.90 meters.  He is in contention to compete at the 2010 NCAA Championships.