NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Southern Connecticut State University men's indoor track and field team won the 2011 Metropolitan Championships on Saturday behind a balanced effort. Along the way, the Owls finished ahead of 11 Division I programs, including Rutgers, Fordham and Manhattan.

Senior Ryan Whitehead (Darien, Conn.) set a new school record and posted a NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the heptathlon after a second place finish in that event. He scored 4,880 points.

Freshman #A.J. Guerra# (Stafford Springs, Conn.) and Senior Nicholas Fedor (Bethany, Conn.) finished one and two respectively in the Weight Throw. Other top performers were Nana Ocran (Manchester, Conn.) who finished second in the 200 meter dash, and Selesi Lumax (Somerset, N.J.) who finished second in the 1000 meter dash. Sophomore Twayne Forth (Brooklyn, N.Y.) placed eighth in the 400 meter dash. Logan Sharpe (Esperance, N.Y.) finished fourth in the 500 meter dash.

Sophomore Paul Ryskowski (Bristol, Conn.) place sixth in the 5000 meter run with a time of 15:20.71. Senior Casey Canada (Royal, Ark.) finished third in the 60 meter hurdles. Southern Connecticut as a team finished third in 4x400 meter relay as well as finishing fourth in the 4x800 meter relay race.

Jared Dixon (Middle Village, N.Y.) placed second in the high jump. Fellow student-athletes Russell Fallo (Redding, Conn.) and John Chernesky (Oxford, Conn.) finished second and fourth respectively in the long jump competition.

The Owls were able to win the prestigious meet without a single first place finish, but relied on scoring from a host of student-athletes to emerge victorious.

The Owls are back in action on Feb. 4 when they compete in the Giegengack Invitational at Yale University. The competition is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.