CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Three America East indoor track teams were in action over this past week. Hartford UMass Lowell and New Hampshire travelled to Boston, Massachussetts for the Jay Carisella Invitational hosted by Northeastern University Here are your week two America East weekly indoor track award winners:
Male Track Performer of the Week
Marcus Duncan, UMass Lowell, Freshman, Dalton, Massachusetts
- Freshman Marcus Duncan won the 500-meter race at the 2014 Jay Carisella Invitational. Duncan ran the race in 1:04.66, which currently ranks as the top America East time thus far this year. The time also currently ranks 11th fastest time in the country in the particular event.
Male Field Performer of the Week
Michael Shanahan, New Hampshire, Sophomore, Dover, New Hampshire
- Sophomore Michael Shanahan was the lone America East competitor to win a field event at the Jay Carisella Invitational.
- Shanahan won the weight throwing event with a distance of 18.65 meters, a full 1.31 meters ahead of the second place finisher.
- The Dover, N.H. native has now won the weight throwing event for the second consecutive meet.
Female Track Performer of the Week
Anne Twombly, New Hampshire, Senior, Exeter, New Hampshire
- Senior Anne Twombly won the 3,000 meter race, finishing with a conference best time of 9:55.04. It is the second consecutive week the senior has won the event.
- Twombly’s time at the Jay Carsilla Invitational currently sits as the ninth best 3,000 meter time in the country this year.
Female Field Performer of the Week
Jessica Salley, New Hampshire, Senior, Andover, Massachusetts
- Senior Jessica Salley was the lone America East competitor to win a field event at the Jay Carsilla Invitational.
- Salley took home first place in the women’s high jump, recording a height of 1.71 meters, which is currently the highest jump in the conference so far this season.
- Salley’s mark currently ranks 22nd in the nation
Male Indoor Track & Field Notes
- Hartford placed 8th out at the Jay Carisella Invitational, carried by Christopher Helminski and Robert Pepper. Helminksi, a junior, recorded a career best time of 8:55.73 in the 3,000 meters, good enough for a third place finish. The other Hawks top ten finish cam form Pepper, who finished seventh in the triple jump with a score of 13.19 meters.
- Other top finishers for Hartford were freshman Hunter Jackman who finished 11th in the 1,000 meters (2:40.04), and senior Jonathan Choiniere, who placed 12th with a mile time of 4:35.24
- UMass Lowell did not bring their full team to the Jay Carisella Invitational at took fifth place in Boston.
- River Hawk Freshman Marcus Duncan won the 500 meters by more than half a second over his competitor with a time of 1:04.66. Senior Tunde Ogunleye finished second in the 400 meters, coming up just two hundredths on a second short. Ogunleye hit the finish line in a time of 48.82.
- River Hawks had two third place finishes; sophomore Kevin Powers in the 1,000 meters and sophomore John Fiorello in the shot put.
- The University of New Hampshire placed third at the Jay Carisella Invitational. Sophomore Michael Shanahan won the weight throw for the second straight meet (18.65). Sophomore Drew Piazza knocked it out of the park in the 1000 meters with the top time of 2:89.59.
- Wildcats took two second place finishes; junior D’mahl McFadden in the 60 meter hurdles (8:37) and the 4x800 meter relay team (8:59.79).
Female Indoor Track & Field Notes
- The Hawks left Boston after taking seventh place at the Jay Carisella Invitational
- Senior Samantha Crisafulli had two top five finishes for the Hartford Hawks; she finished third in the 800 meters (2:21.86) and fifth in the 3,000 meters (10:30.72).
- Four freshman added top ten times in various events: Samantha Nyser, Nicole Demars, and Briana Burt all finished sixth in their respective runs, and Kaitlyn King took eighth in the triple jump.
- The River Hawks took home fifth place in the Jay Carisella Invitational.
- UMass Lowell was led by Taelour Murphy who won the 200 meters with a time of 28.88. Senior Shaniece Cola took fourth in the 200 running the race in 26.07. Other River Hawk highlights include Erika Shay and Kathryn Loughnane who took fifth place in their respective events of 500 and 1000 meters.
- New Hampshire placed third at the Jay Carisella Invitational, highlighted by senior Jessica Salley, who set a new school record in the high jump, winning the event at 1.71 meters.
- Senior Anne Twombly took home first in the 3,000 meter run with the pace of 9:55.04, her second consecutive week winning this event. New Hampshire also won the 4x400 meter relay behind the team of Alyson Messina, Danielle Gajewski, Lauren Perrodin, and Gina Conti.
Weekly Awards
Dec. 9
Male Track Performer of the Week: Christopher Poggi, New Hampshire
Male Field Performer of the Week: Alfonso Scannapieco, Albany
Female Track Performer of the Week: Mercedes Jackson, UMBC
Female Field Performer of the Week: Grace Weisbecker, Vermont
Dec. 16
Male Track Performer of the Week: Marcus Duncan, UMass Lowell
Male Field Performer of the Week: Michael Shanahan, New Hampshire
Female Track Performer of the Week: Anne Twombly, New Hampshire
Female Field Performer of the Week: Jessica Salley, New Hampshire