CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Four student-athletes from four different schools take home the first outdoor track and field weekly awards of 2012.
UMBC freshman Mercedes Jackson (Huntington, Md./Huntington) collects Female Track Performer of the Week while Boston University senior Elliot Lehane (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) picks up Male Track Performer of the Week. New Hampshire senior Laura Stern (Shirley, Mass./Lunenberg) gets the Female Field Performer of the Week nod and Vermont’s Sam Hoadley (East Granby, Conn./East Granby) grabs the Male Field Performer of the Week honor.
Jackson continued her stellar rookie campaign over the weekend at the Weems Baskin Invitational hosted by the University of South Carolina with two record-breaking sprints in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. In the 100, Jackson’s time of 11.81 broke the UMBC record set back in 1997. In the 200, her time of 24.05 broke the school record set just two years ago. Jackson finished second in both events.
Lehane kicked off the outdoor season in style for the Terriers at the Husky Spring Open hosted by Northeastern University. The senior won the 5,000 meter run in a time of 14:57.09, which was 17 second faster than the second-place finisher.
After a three-year layoff due to multiple injuries, Stern returned to action for the first time since her freshman year and won the javelin throw at the Husky Spring Open. She topped the field of 29 with an ECAC-qualifying toss of 44.98 meters, marking the 29th best throw in the nation so far this season.
Hoadley led a pair of Catamounts in the top-five of the javelin throw at the Husky Spring Open, taking third overall with a toss of 56.30 meters. That is the best throw in the conference so far this spring.
Chris Burke (Tully, N.Y./Tully/SUNY Delhi) and Kathryn Fanning (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) swept the 1,500 meter events to highlight Albany’s weekend at the two-day Central Florida Invitational over the weekend. The men’s and women’s squads combined for 13 ECAC/IC4A qualifying marks. Burke completed the 1,500 meter race in a first-place time of 3:50.73 while teammate Paul Lagno (Salt Point, N.Y./Millbrook) was not far behind in fourth with a time of 3:52.92. Fanning ran a 4:30.79, nearly four seconds faster than her season-best time, for the first-place nod. Elsewhere for the Great Dane women, Pat McNish (Great Neck, N.Y./Manhasset) turned in a mark of 40’4.757” to finish 11th in the triple jump and qualify for ECACs. In the field for the men, the 2012 America East Indoor Most Outstanding Field Performer Alfonso Scannapieco collected a fourth-place finish in the pole vault with his 16’8.75” effort. Alexander Bowen (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon High) soared 6’9.75” for a runner-up showing in the high jump. Albany will return to competition on April 14th at the UMass Invitational.
Binghamton begins outdoor competition this weekend at the West Point Invitational on March 31.
Boston University opened up the outdoor season at the Husky Spring Open. For the Terrier men, senior Elliot Lehane finished first in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 14:57.09 and freshman Ben Ravetz (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon) took second in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:58.82). Lehane and Ravetz were the only two Terriers to compete this weekend. Boston U. next competes in the Texas Relays (March 28-31) and the Snowflake Classic (March 31).
Hartford travels to Storrs this weekend for the UConn Spring Invitational to kick off the outdoor season.
Maine hosts New Hampshire and Bates this weekend for a tri-meet to start the outdoor season in Orono.
The UMBC track and field teams opened the outdoor season this weekend at the two-day Weems Baskin Invitational at the University of South Carolina. 2012 America East Indoor Most Outstanding Female Rookie Mercedes Jackson (Huntington, Md./Huntington) continued her stellar rookie campaign by placing second and breaking the school record in both the 100 (11.81) and 200 (24.05) meter dashes. Classmate Paulette Fogle (Washington, D.C./Bishop McNamara) was also impressive, running a 1:03.87 to place eighth in the 400 meter hurdles. In the field for the Retriever women, Chrissy Robinson (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) and Amanda Deller (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen) each set personal bests in the hammer throw. Robinson’s toss of 43.91m moves her into fourth place on the UMBC all-time list. For the men, Chris Nash (Parkton, Md./Hereford) moved into eighth place in school history with a toss of 46.27 meters in the hammer throw and freshman Malte Bertram (Einbeck, Germany/Goethschule Gymnasium) turned in a 45.73-meter toss in the javelin to rank seventh all-time at UMBC. The Retrievers return to competition this weekend as both squads travel to College Park, Md. for the Maryland Invitational on March 31.
New Hampshire sent a select group of throwers to the Husky Spring Open over the weekend. Senior Laura Stern led the way with a win in the javelin (147’7”), returning to action after a three-year layoff due to multiple injuries. Michelle Gearin (York, Maine) finished seventh in the javelin with a toss of 112’8.” Rosemary Read (West Greenwich, R.I.) recorded a runner-up finish in the hammer throw with a personal-best and ECAC-qualifying toss of 172’9”. On the men’s side, Jesse Swink (Groton, Conn.) was the lone competitor and he finished ninth in the javelin with a throw measuring 166.’ The Wildcats are back in action on March 31 when they take on Maine in Orono.
Stony Brook’s track and field teams opened the 2012 outdoor season at Monmouth last weekend. The Seawolves shined in the distance races. In the men’s 1,500 meter run, Carlos Roa (Jamaica, N.Y.), Thomas Rammalkamp (Miller Place, N.Y.) and Nicholas Lemon (Middletown, N.Y.) placed second, third and fourth. Roa’s time of 14:57.18 broke a seven-year old meet record. For the women, Annie Keown (Aukland, New Zealand) and Lorraine McCarthy (Waterford, Ireland) finished one-two in the 5,000 while the Seawolves took the top three spots in the 1,500, as well. The outdoor season continues for Stony Brook on April 4 for the inaugural Stony Brook Quad Meet.
Vermont opened its outdoor campaign at the Husky Spring Open in Dedham, Mass. over the weekend. Leading the way for the men in the non-scoring meet was senior Sam Hoadley (East Granby, Conn./East Granby) who finished third overall in the javelin with a distance of 56.30 meters as the Catamounts notched two top-five finishes in the event. Classmate Mike Grubert placed fifth overall with his throw of 53.42 meters. For the UVM women, Kate Leugers (Richmond, Vt./Rice Memorial) placed second overall in the 10,000 meter run with a final time of 37:04.93. Leugers was one of three Catamounts to finish in the top-ten in that event. In the field, Nika Ouellette (Brookline, Mass./Brookline), the 2011 America East Most Outstanding Rookie, took second in the javelin after her 44.56-meter effort. The Catamounts return to action April 6 and 7 as select members of each squad head to the Duke Invitational while the remainder of the squads will compete at the UMass Invitational starting on April 7.