By: Erin Madden

BEREA, Ohio - The Baldwin Wallace University men's indoor track and field team placed third at the home Mid-February Meet, hosted on the Harrison Dillard Track inside the Lou Higgins Center Fieldhouse. 

BW finished third of three teams with a total of 59 points. Ohio Athletic Conference and crosstown rival John Carroll University won the meet with 196 points. 

Freshman sprinter Desmond Manley (Akron/St. Vincent-St. Mary) had the best result for the Yellow Jackets on the track with a pair of career bests and runner-up finishes. He shaved more than half a second off his 400-meter dash time, crossing the finish line in 53.34 seconds, and then broke 24 seconds for the first time in the 200-meter dash as he ran a time of 23.94 seconds. Freshman sprinter Marcus Price (North Ridgeville) placed third in the 400 in a career-best 55.29 seconds and sixth in the 200 in 24.78 seconds. In his first individual events of the season, freshman sprinter Mason Birkbeck (Wadsworth) finished fifth in the 200 in a time of 24.65 seconds and placed sixth in the 55-meter dash finals in 6.93 seconds. 

Out in the field, junior thrower Jake Mantle (North Royalton) placed fourth in the weight throw when his longest toss traveled 42 feet, 2 inches. He also finished fifth in the shot put with a mark of 39'4.5". Freshman thrower Joe Barnes (West Plains, Mo.) had a career-best toss of 39'4" to place sixth in the shot put. 

The Yellow Jackets return to action on Saturday, February 27, for a tri-meet at the University of Mount Union, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Peterson Field House.