CAMBRIDGE, Mass.- For the first week of the 2008-2009 indoor track and field season, the University of Vermont’s Colin Lyons and the University of Hartford’s Elizabeth Foster earn male and female America East Track Performers of the Week honors, while the University of Hartford’s Anthony Oluwanifise and the University of New Hampshire’s Ashlee Lathrop earned the season’s first male and female Field Performer of the Week recognition.
Lyons, a senior, earned first place victories in the mile (4:39.37) and the 1000 meter-run (2:39.35) in the season opener for the Catamounts against America East rival Vermont. Lyons’ points propelled his squad to victory, edging them past the Hawks, 79-68.
Foster, a senior, earned one of Hartford’s four individual victories in its season opener against Vermont, posting a time of 10:37.56 in the 3000-meter run. Foster went on to run a leg of the first-place 4x400-meter relay, but the Hawks came up short, 90-65.
Oluwanifise, a senior, won both the long jump and the triple jump at the season opening meet against Vermont, posting scores of 6.65 meters and 13.15 meters, respectively. Additionally, he earned a fourth-place finish in the high jump, posting a distance of 1.73 meters. .
Lathrop broke New Hampshire’s school record at the opening meet of the year with a first-place a toss of 54 feet, 4.75 inches in the weight throw. The senior qualified for IC4A with the throw while beating out 18 other competitors for the victory at the Husky Winter Carnival at the Reggie Lewis Center.
Albany- The Great Danes kick off their indoor track and field season in the new year at the Dartmouth Relays on January 9, 2009.
Boston U- The Terriers competed at the Husky Winter Carnival at the Reggie Lewis Center this weekend. Freshman Shelby Walton had a strong showing in her first collegiate meet, winning the 55-meter dash with a 7.17 time. Walton went on to finish second in the 200-meter dash (25.57), the first of four terrier women to finish the race in the top seven. Senior Katie Weider finished second in the 1000 meter run (2:56.83) and junior Whitney Ford finished fourth (5.46m) in the long jump. Highlighting the men was sophomore Joel Senick who won the 500-meter dash in a time of 1:03.55 to beat out 29 other runners. Junior Jeff Moreau was the top distance runner for the Terriers, finishing second overall in the 1000-meter run with a time of 2:34.83. Junior Kodjo Wilder shined in the field event, finishing fifth in the long jump with a jump of 6.70m.
Binghamton- The Bearcats participated in the season-opening Cornell Indoor Track Invitational on Saturday and earned several Top 5 finishes. Sophomore standout Cazal Arnett, the 2008 America East men’s rookie of the Year broke the school record in his first-place time of 34.20 in the 300-meter run. Senior Joanel Lopez folloed Arnett’s lead, setting a school record in the shot put with a second-place throw of 51 feet, nine inches. For the women, junior Margaret Tinker placed second in the shot put recording a 36 feet, 6.25 inch throw. Freshman Samantha Howell earned third in the 300-meters with a time of 42.90 while sophomore Rosie DeFino earned third in the long jump (17-11).
Hartford- Hartford traveled to Vermont to face the America East rival Catamounts this weekend and lost a tight meet with the men falling 79-68 and the women 90-65. The men had several individual victories, two of which came from senior Anthony Oluwanifise who earned first in the long jump and triple jump, posting distances of 6.65m and 13.15m, respectively. Senior Brien Woodamen threw school-record breaking 12.24 meters in the men’s weight throw, and earned third in the shot put. Sophomore Matthew Le won the 800-meter run (2:05.98) and freshman Anderson Emerole won the 300 meter run (36.75). For the women, freshman Kristalena Lamore won the long jump event in her first collegiate meet with a distance of 5.27m, breaking the school record by .56m. Elizabeth Foster, a senior, dominated the 300-meter run, posting a time of 10:37.56 and beating the runner up by 26.43 seconds.
Maine- The Black Bears continue to train for their trip to New Hampshire on December 13, when they will officially kick off their indoor track and field season.
UMBC- The Retrievers opened their indoor indoor track and field season at the Bison opener at Bucknell. Senior Alex Hyland was the highlighted the women, winning the 3000-meter run in a field of 18 runners with a time of 10:32.76. Britney Foreman, a junior, finished third in the 60-meter dash (7.72) while sophomore Jasmin Batchelor earned fourth in the high jump at 1.55 meters. Sophomore Allieu Shaw was the lead finisher for the men, leaping 14.82m in the triple which was enough to qualify for IC4A and for second overall. Junior Keith Brown placed third in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8:18.
New Hampshire- The Wildcats traveled to the Reggie Lewis Center to compete in the Husky Winter Carnival on Saturday afternoon to kickoff their indoor track and field season. Junior thrower Ashlee Lathrop finished first in the weight throw in a field of 18, recording a distance of 54 feet, 4.75 inches, breaking her own school record of 54-3.75 set last year. Classmate Rita Ciambra earned first in the pole vault event with a leap of 11-11.75 while sophomore Megan Donohue finished first in the 500-meters (17.99). For the men, senior Pat Casey highlighted the squad, winning the high jump and setting a school record with a jump of six feet, nine inches. Classmate Bobby Edgerton won the 3000 meters and qualified for IC4A with a time of 16.76 seconds, nearly 30 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
Stony Brook- The Seawolves kicked off the 2008-09 indoor track and field season at the Fordham Invitational on Friday. Junior Lisa Voltaire earned the only first-place finish of the day, completing the 3000-meter run in 10:53.5. The women had a good showing in the 1000-meter run with sophomore Kristina Doyle earning third (3:23.1) and classmate Kristen Connolly placing fourth (3:26.1). For the men, senior Merlon Pinnock crossed second in the 400-meter in 52.6 seconds while junior Kurt Wende finished fourth in the men’s 3000-meter run with a time of 8:57.3). Freshman Matthew Carnes fared well in his first collegiate meet, placing fourth in the shot put with a through of 11.94m.
Vermont- Vermont swept America East foe Hartford when they hosted them Saturday afternoon to kick of their indoor track and field season. Senior Colin Lyons posted a time first place time of 4:39.37 in the mile and went on toe place first in the 1000-meter run (2:39.35). In his first collegiate meet, freshman Peter Foley won the shot put with a throw of 12.23m, while teammates Cameron Grant and David Hanss placed first in the 55-meters (6.63) and the 55-meter hurdles (8.08), respectively. For the women, senior Jan Carlson, who returned after a year off due to injury, posted a school and facility record in the 300-meters with a time of 42.08. Freshman Ase Lundin earned her first collegiate victories by winning the triple jump (11.46m) and the high jump (1.58m). Classmate Bethany Karter-O’Brien picked up a pair of wins in the shot put (12.5m) and the weight throw (14.54m). The Catamounts toppled the Hawks, beating the women, 90-65, and the men, 79-68.