Mike Vatti
Mike Vatti

Vatti Helps Bentley Finish 2nd in Reggie Poyau Memorial Meet

WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior Mike Vatti (Easton, Pa./Easton HS) ran to victory in the 600 meters and was part of the Falcons' winning 4x400 relay team, helping the Bentley University men's indoor track team finish second amongst seven teams in the Reggie Poyau Memorial Meet at Brandeis University Saturday.

Vatti led a 1-2-3 performance for Bentley in the 600 with a winning time of 1:23.11. Senior Dan Fava (Malden/Malden Catholic HS) and junior Bryan Carton (Norwell/Norwell HS) followed, with times of 1:25.22 and 1:25.78, respectively.

In the 4x400, Carton and Vatti partnered with senior Andy Gauthier (Dracut/Central Catholic HS) and freshman Mark Nelson (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Pine Crest School) to win by more than two seconds, finishing in 3:31.17.

Nelson and classmate Steven Maffiolini (Southington, Conn./Southington HS) were second and third, respectively, in the 500 meters. Nelson crossed the line in 52.62 seconds and Maffiolini followed in 52.82.  Maffionlini was also fifth in the 200 meters (23.89).

Also finishing third for Bentley were senior Steven Long (Newton/Newton North HS) in the shot put (43 feet, 7.75 inches) and the Falcons' 4x800 relay team of freshman Christian Connolly (Kingston/ Silver Lake Reg. HS), sophomore Conor Higgins (Randolph, N.J./Randolph HS) and juniors Craig Robinson (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough HS) and Chris Letourneau (Franklin/Franklin HS). They posted a time of 8:20.66.

Robinson was fourth in the mile (4:28.84) as was senior Tom Witherell (Los Alamos, N.M./Los Alamos HS) in the 5000 (personal best 15:46.47).

Bentley, with 89 points, finished second to Stonehill College's 180.  Brandeis was third with 83, and UMass-Lowell was fourth (77).

Bentley's next meet will be the Greater Boston Track Club Invitational on Jan. 22.