CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Four America East schools kicked off the 2015 calendar year this past week. Binghamton travelled to Ithaca for the Southern Tier Collegiate Open; Maine competed at the USM Open in Gorham, Maine; UMBC took on all comers at the Penn State Indoor Relays; and UMass Lowell booked it to Hanover, New Hampshire for the Dartmouth Relays.
Male Track Performer of the Week
Robert Allen, UMass Lowell, Senior, Cranston, Rhode Island
- Senior Robert Allen won the mile run in 4:10.04, finishing just four-hundredths of a second ahead of the second place finisher.
- Allen’s time is top among the America East this year and currently ranks sixth in the nation.
- The River Hawks placed third overall as a team, finishing with 45 points, falling short of the host Dartmouth and Southern Connecticut State University.
Male Field Performer of the Week
Joe Miceli, Binghamton, Junior, Dover, New Hampshire
- Joe Miceli placed second at the Southern Tier Collegiate Open in the pole vault, reaching a height of 15’ 3”. Miceli’s is tied for the best this season with Binghamton’s Peter Fagan who recorded the same height at the Cornell Greg Page Relays back in early December.
Female Track Performer of the Week
Mercedes Jackson, UMBC, Senior, Huntington, Maryland
- Mercedes Jackson continued her dominance in the 60 meter dash, winning the event at the Penn State Relays with a time of 7.54 seconds. Jackson’s time was top among America East competitors this week.
- Jackson’s time falls eight hundredths of a second behind her personal, and the conference’s best time this year of 7.46, which was set at the Bison Opener back on December 5th.
- Jackson also competed in the 200 meter dash, where she placed second at 24.69. Despite finishing as the runner up, Jackson’s time sits atop the conference rankings.
Co-Female Field Performer of the Week
Kerstin Darsney, UMass Lowell, Freshman, Rowley, Massachusetts
- Kerstin Darsney competed at the Dartmouth Relays and won the triple jump with a distance of 38’ 9.5.” Darsney’s length places her tied among all America East competitors.
- The River Hawks placed third among twelve competing schools.
Co-Female Field Performer of the Week
Alexis Murray, Binghamton, Senior, Belrose, New York
- Alexis Murray won the triple jump at the Southern Tier Collegiate Open with a distance of 38’ 9.5”. Murray’s triple jump score is tied for the longest in the America East this year.
- The meet did not include team scoring.
Male Indoor Track & Field Notes
- Binghamton took part in the Southern Tier Collegiate Open, hosted by Cornell. Senior Jesse Garn won the 3,000 meter race in 8:28.16, a new season best in the America East Conference. Garn’s time also ranks within the top 30 among division one schools. The senior was also part of the victorious 4x400 relay team, which also consisted of Chris Fernandez, Josh Miller, and Tom Moshier.
- Other Bearcat highlights include Dan Kelly (500m), Josh Miller (1000m), Joe Miceli (pole vault), and Brandon Bordeau (shot put), who all finished second in their respective events.
- Hassan Omar, who won the mile run at the Penn State Relays in 4:14.95, led UMBC. Omar’s time ranks third in the America East thus far this year, sitting just a quarter of a second slower than his season best.
- Maine men started their 2015 in Gorham, Maine with the USM open. Tyler Martin and Devin Burgess placed first in their respective events of high jump (6’ 4”) and pole vault (14’, 6”). In additional, James Rutter finished second in the 55m hurdles for the Black bears.
- UMass Lowell placed third at the Dartmouth Relays, led by Robert Allen. The senior won the mile run in 4:10.04, a time that ranks top in the America East and sixth in the nation. Freshman Marcus Duncan placed second in the 400 meter dash, and fellow first-year Vladamir Popusoi cleared 14’ 7.25” in the pole vault to earn third place.
Female Indoor Track & Field Notes
- There were four individual winners for Binghamton at the Southern Tier Collegiate Open. Alexis Murray won the triple jump with a distance of 38’ 9.5”, tying her for the best mark in the America East. Two freshmen came out at number one for the Bearcats; Rasheedah Shardow captured the 60m (8.19), and Sunja Joseph won the long jump (17’ 9.5”). The fourth top placed for Binghamton comes by way of junior Shannon McBrien wno took the honors in the 800m (2:21.65).
- Mercedes Jackson led the Retrievers of UMBC as she won the 60 meter dash (7.54) and placed second in the 200 meter dash (24.69). Her teammate Paulette Fogle took home gold in the 500 meter dash with a time of 1:16.08. Another UMBC highlight includes Julie Gessler who placed second in the 3000 meter run (10:20.94).
- Grace McLean and Jaclyn Masters combined to give the University of Maine three first place finishes at the USM Open. Maclean won the 55-meter hurdles (8.44) and the high jump (5’ 2.25”). Masters once again took control of the pale vault, winning the event with a final mark of 11’ 6.25”.
- UMass Lowell placed third at the Dartmouth Relays out of twelve competing schools. Senior Taelour Murphy won the 60 meter dash in 7.66 after taking first in the preliminary as well. River Hawks took top prize in the 4x200 relay with Shaneice Cola, Andrew Fanciullo, Katie Mulkerin and the aforementioned Murphy bringing home the win.
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
Jan. 13
Male Track Performer of the Week: Robert Allen, UMass Lowell
Male Field Performer of the Week: Joe Miceli, Binghamton
Female Track Performer of the Week: Mercedes Jackson, UMBC
Co-Female Field Performer of the Week: Kerstin, Darsney, UMass Lowell
Co-Female Field Performer of the Week: Alexis Murray, Binghamton