Ravens finish in tie for 18th

BOSTON (February 27, 2016) – Senior Vinny Biunno (Montgomery, N.Y.) earned All-New England accolades in the high jump and the 60-meter hurdles on Saturday, while graduate student Andre Wooten (St. Charles, Mo.) added All-New England honors in the triple jump, as the duo led the way for the Franklin Pierce University men's track & field team on the second day of the NEICAAA Championships. In all, over the two-day meet, the Ravens collected 14 points to finish in a tie for 18th, among 36 teams to score at the meet, hosted by Boston University at the BU Track & Tennis Center.

Biunno qualified for the semifinals in the 60-meter hurdles on Friday and assured himself of an All-New England finish by running a time of 8.25 seconds to finish fourth in his semifinal and advance to the final. Biunno's semifinal time was good enough to meet the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying standard in the event. He would follow up with a time of 8.46 seconds in the final to finish eighth and earn one point for Franklin Pierce.

The other two All-New England finishes were in field events as well, as Biunno also placed in the high jump. He was able to clear 1.99 meters, which was good for seventh place and two points. Meanwhile, Wooten scored in the triple jump, where he finished fifth to earn four points, with a mark of 14.66 meters.

Junior Cory Cataldo (Tewksbury, Mass.) had also qualified for the semifinals in the 60-meter hurdles. However, he finished 13th of 16 semifinalists, with a time of 8.52 seconds, and did not advance to the final.

The rest of Franklin Pierce's participation came on the track on Saturday, including a pair of Ravens who ran in the mile. Junior Jon Holmes (Albany, N.Y.) finished 14th, with a time of 4:14.39, while junior B.J. Smith (Concord, N.H.) ran a 4:24.29 to place 27th.

In the 4x800-meter relay, the Ravens fielded a team of sophomore Joshua Ercolini (Woburn, Mass.), junior Matt Carpenter (Gloucester, Mass.), freshman Christopher Lord (North Andover, Mass.) and senior Chris Birotte (Lynn, Mass.). The quartet finished 15th, with a time of 7:56.44.

Select members of the Ravens will be back in action on Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Last Chance Meet, hosted by Boston University. The meet is the final opportunity to post marks which can earn selections to the NCAA Championships.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce track and field apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).