CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Boston University sophomore Jackie Dim (Sicklerville, N.J.) captured a title and posted an ECAC mark in her first meet of the outdoor season to capture the female Track Performer of the Week honor while University at Albany junior John Moore (Fort Johnson, N.Y./Fonda-Fultonville) posted the 13th fastest time in the nation in the 800m to claim the male Track Performer of the Week award. University of New Hampshire junior Paul DeTurk (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) garners the first outdoor track and field male Field Performer of the Week accolade after winning the hammer throw while senior teammate Rita Ciambra (Hanover, N.H./Hanover), who broke a school record and claimed an ECAC-qualifying mark, captures the female Field Performer of the Week honor for the week ending March 21.
Dim led the Terrier women at the Carolina Classic in Puerto Rico where she won the 400m in a time of 57.04, half a second ahead of conference competitor Albany’s Octavia Clarkson. She also ran the second leg of the 4x100m relay that placed third in an ECAC-qualifying time of 46.88.
Moore was one of two Great Danes to post an IC4A-qualifying mark at the first meet of the outdoor season. Moore, who won the 800m at the conference championship last year, placed third in the event in a time of 1:51.49. His time ranks 13th in the nation and fifth in the East Region and also qualifies him for the IC4A championship.
DeTurk, who finished fourth in the hammer throw at last year’s championship, won the event in his first outdoor meet of the season at the Husky Spring Open. He won the hammer throw title with an IC4A-qualifying toss of 59.67m, which ranks 14th in the nation.
Ciambra, who won the conference pole vault title in 2008, returns strong in 2010, capturing a title in that event at the Husky Spring Open. Her leap of 3.96m broke her own school record and was an ECAC-qualifying mark.
Albany - Albany opened its outdoor season at the Carolina Classic in Puerto Rico last weekend. Texas A&M, which won the men’s and women’s national championships last spring, was among the NCAA Division I schools in attendance. The men’s team was led by IC4A Championship qualifiers John Moore and Wilfredo de Jesus Elias (Arroyo, Puerto Rico/Natividad Rodriguez Gonzalez). Moore finished third in the 800-meter run in 1:51.49, while de Jesus Elias, a native of Puerto Rico, was third in the hammer throw by recording a mark of 192-feet, 3-inches. The Albany women were paced by Alli Rogers, Laura Cummings (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore/North Carolina) and Kadine Johnson (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle). Rogers became the first America East Conference student-athlete to qualify for the ECAC Championship in two separate events. She ran legs for the 4x100-meter relay team which clocked in at 46.93 seconds and the 4x400-meter relay which finished third in 3:50.76. Cummings won the 1,500 in 4:33.23, while Johnson posted a third-place finish in the discus throw (129-3) and a sixth-place mark in the hammer throw (160-11). The men’s 4x400-meter relay team consisting of Peter Rowell (Scotia, N.Y./Scotia-Glenville/Manhattan), Jonathan Santana (Rochester, N.Y./Edison Tech), Alex Petit-Frere (Nanuet, N.Y./Spring Valley) and Ebube Abara (Loudonville, N.Y./Shaker) ran a third-place time of 3:17.38 to qualify for IC4As. Albany will take the next week off before sending competitors to the Texas Relays, which runs from March 31 to April 3, and the Duke Invitational on April 2-3.
Binghamton – The Bearcats participated in the Wake Forest Outdoor Track and Field Invitational last weekend. Freshmen Jeff Martinez (Johnson City, N.Y./ Johnson City) and Lindsay Raulli (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) and junior Casey Quaglia (Bangor, Maine/ Bangor) all claimed titles for Binghamton. Martinez won the men’s 5,000m in 14:40.49 while fellow rookie Raulli placed first in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase in a time of 11:01.16. Quaglia posted an IC4A-qualifying time in the men’s 1,500, winning with a time of 3:50.48. Junior Adam Quinn (Clifton Park, N.Y./ Shenendehowa) and sophomore Robb Quiller (West Point, N.Y./James I. O’Neill) also claimed top-three finishes for the Bearcat men. Quinn placed second in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:23.53) while Quiller captured third in the pole vault (15-5). In the field, junior Nandi Dozier-Lewis (Staten Island, N.Y./ St. Peter’s) and senior Kiki Gifft (Ithaca, N.Y./ Lansing) captured two more top-finishes for the women, placing fourth in the triple jump (37-0) and sixth in the pole vault (11-5 ¾), respectively. Binghamton next competes at the Princeton/Sam Howll Invitational on April 2-3.
Boston U. – The Terrier squads opened their outdoor seasons at the Carolina Spring Classic. Jackie Dim and junior Karly Neveu (Surrey, British Columbia) led the women each claiming a title at the meet. Dim won the 400m dash in 57.04, half a second ahead of Albany competitor Octavia Clarkson. She also ran the second leg of the women’s 4x100m relay that finished third in an ECAC-qualifying time of 46.88. Neveu captured the high jump title with an ECAC-qualifying mark of 1.70m. Senior Sarah Mosser (East Aurora, N.Y.) and sophomore Katie Matthews (Rocky Hill, Conn.) also picked up top-five finishes at the meet. Mosser placed second in the 1,500m run in 4:33.94, just .7 seconds out of first, while Matthews earned fifth in the 5,000m in 17:51.48. On the men’s side, the Terriers captured six top 10 finishes led by junior Dan Withrow (Dedham, Mass.), who placed second in the discus throw with an IC4A-qualifying mark of 49.56m. Classmate Eric Ashe (Hanson, Mass.) also claimed a top-five finish, earning third in the steeplechase with a time of 9:26.23. The men’s 4x100m relay team captured the squads only other top five finish, crossing the finish line in third. Boston U. next travels out to California for the Stanford Invitational on March 26-27.
Hartford – The Hawks begin their outdoor season on March 27 at the AIC Invitational.
Maine – The Black Bears host conference foe New Hampshire on March 27 in their first meet of the outdoor season.
UMBC – The Retrievers, which placed third at the men’s conference championship and fifth at the women’s, begin their outdoor season at the Maryland Invitational on March 27.
New Hampshire – The Wildcats competed at the Husky Spring Open on Saturday where Rita Ciambra broke her own school record in the pole vault to capture first place with a mark of 3.96m. Ciambra’s leap also qualifies her for the ECAC championship. Classmate Kelly Thomas (Chichester, N.H./Pembroke) also captured a top finish for the women, finishing fourth in the steeplechase with a time of 13:08.08. On the men’s side, senior Chris Morgan (Goffstown, N.H./Goffstown) led a sweep of the javelin with an IC4A-qualifying toss of 59.95m. Juniors Michael Simon (Durham, Conn./Durham) and Matthew Pelchat (Lancaster, N.H./White Mountain) earned second (59.71m) and third (55.10), respectively, in the javelin throw to complete the Wildcat sweep. Simon’s throw was also an IC4A-qualifying mark. Paul DeTurk claimed a second field title for the men, winning the hammer throw with a toss of 59.67m. His mark qualifies him for the IC4A championship. The Wildcats return to action on March 27 when they travel to Maine.
Stony Brook – The Seawolves begin their outdoor season at the Monmouth Invitational on March 27.
Vermont – Part of the Catamount squads competed at the Husky Spring Open last weekend. Senior Doug Maisey (Gwynedd Valley, Pa.) captured the top finish by a Vermont competitor at the meet, crossing the finish line in second in the men’s 5,000m with a time of 15:07.05. Sam Hoadley (East Granby, Conn.) also claimed a top-five finish for the men, earning fourth in the javelin throw with a mark of 54.51m. Junior Hannah Masse (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) picked up the top finish by a Vermont woman at the meet, placing eighth in the women’s 1,500m with a time of 5:03.70. The Catamounts next compete at the Duke Invitational on April 2-3.