LANCASTER, Pa. – The Haverford College men's track & field team closed out competition at the 2026 Centennial Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships with a strong second-day push, highlighted by conference gold in the 3,000 meters and key scoring performances across disciplines to finish fourth overall.
First-year Simon Lane delivered a statement win in the 3,000 meters, capturing the conference title in 8:29.81 to earn 10 team points to the Haverford ledger. One day after the two teamed up int he DMR, Senior Micah Lachman joined him on the podium with a third-place finish in 8:36.68, adding six more points in a pivotal distance double for the Fords.
In the mile, junior Owen Bluman secured bronze in 4:20.23, while junior Luke de Valpine placed sixth in 4:21.73. First-year Cole Branstrom continued a solid championship debut with a personal-best 4:22.73 to finish seventh, as Haverford piled up 11 points in the event.
On the sprint side, sophomore Thomas Fendig turned in a pair of scoring efforts. He placed third in the 400 meters in 49.97 to earn six points and later added two more with a seventh-place finish in the 200 meters (22.88). Nico Greene also scored in the 200, finishing eighth in a personal-best 22.97. Niko Beros narrowly missed the scoring with a season-best 22.99 for ninth overall.
The 60-meter hurdles final saw two Fords reach the podium. Samuel Lin clocked 8.70 to finish third and score six points with a pivotal bronze, while first-year Ian Lihani added three points with a sixth-place showing in 8.85 just narrowly missing his personal best.
Haverford also collected valuable field event points in the long jump, where senior Jory Lee placed fourth with a leap of 6.63 meters (21 feet, nine inches), and sophomore Mark Tringas added two points in seventh (6.36m or 20 feet, 10.5 inches ). Jackson Juzang leaped 6.15 meters (20 feet, 2.25 inches) to narrowly miss the scoring.
The Fords capped the meet on the track with a third-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay, as Greene, Lihani, Reef Kirchner and Fendig combined to run 3:28.22 for six more points.
In the heptathlon, junior Jason Mayo completed a consistent all-around weekend to pull onto the podium. He posted a personal best of 3:18.77 in the 1,000 meters and cleared 3.10 meters (10 feet, 2 inches) in the pole vault as part of a steady and calm second-day effort that kept him among the conference's top multi-event competitors.
Johns Hopkins captured the overall title with 188 points, with Ursinus (127), Dickinson (104) and the Fords (100) rounding out the top 4.
Haverford will now have one last chance to qualify athletes for the NCAA Championships at next Saturday's Tufts Final Qualifier. Looking at national lists, the Distance Medley Relay looks to be in a strong spot to reach Birmingham as the 9:53.49 ran by Lachman, Fendig, Bluman, and Lane is currently the seventh fastest in Division III. Jory Lee's triple jump also ranks as the 19th-best mark in NCAA Division III.
