Finn Walsh Ties School Record at Valentine Invitational

BOSTON, Ma. – Junior Finn Walsh secured a share of the men’s mile school record, as he recorded a time of 4:00.14 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational, tying the record that Sam Bair has held since 2006.

Out of 385 entries, Walsh finished in 45^th place overall as he shaved over three seconds off his previous personal best time. Luke Simpson had a record-setting performance of his own in the mile, accomplishing a new best of 4:03.53 and notching 81^st place in the process. Simpson inserted himself into the all-time top-10 list at Pitt, currently sitting in fourth behind Bair, Walsh and Evan Addison.

Sam Otis, Peyton Geehrer and Ethan Fingerhut competed in the unseeded 5000m race. Otis was the first of the trio to finish, recording an indoor personal best of 14:24.69. Otis took 29^th place and Geehrer, the next to finish for the Panthers, collected 53^rd place in 14:37.89. Fingerhut competed in his first 5000m race of his young career, racing for a time of 14:46.96.

Jack Miller and Quintin Gatons kept the momentum moving in the 3000m. Miller finished in 31^st place out of 164 entries. Miller clocked in at 8:00.03, three seconds shy of his own personal and school record set two seasons ago. Gatons erased one second off his best, fit for 59^th place in 8:07.37.

Luke Henseler bolted to a new personal record in the 5000m, coming through in 13:59.48. Henseler already held the second-best time in program history, and now he does so with a sub-14 minute time. Luke Miller added himself into the all-time top-10 record book, in fifth currently, with his time of 14:09.50. It was the first indoor 5000m race of Miller’s career. 

In Friday action, the women’s team recorded six new individual personal records. Caroline Rusinski had a strong showing in the unseeded 5000m race, finishing in 14^th place with a personal record of 17:09.56. Two more personal records came via the mile, with Gianna Cagliola winning her heat and recording a time of 5:04.82. Freshman Christina Elliott crossed the line in 5:17.23.

Two more Panthers, Sydney Nowicki and Camy Kiser, recorded new bests in the 3000m. Nowicki finished in 9:34.45 in just her third meet with Pitt since transferring from Florida State. Kiser followed in 9:51.65. Winnie Incorvaia capped off the…