CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Eight America East schools took to the track this past week. Hartford, and UMass Lowell took part in the Dartmouth Indoor Classic; Maine hosted a dual meet against Holy Cross; Binghamton and UMBC took part in the Sykes & Sabock Challenge at Penn State; New Hampshire travelled to Rhode Island for the URI Coaches Vs. Domestic Violence Meet; Vermont took part in the Scarlet & White Invitational; and Stony Brook sent runners to both Giegengack Invitational and Metropolitan Championships. Here are the week seven America East indoor track & field award winners:
Male Track Performer of the Week
Jesse Garn, Binghamton, Senior, Marcellus, New York
- Senior Jesse Garn won the 800-meter race at the Sykes & Sabock Invitational, completing the event in a time of 1:48.57. In the process, he broke his own 2012 school record of 1:48.85, which he set at the NCAA East Regional Outdoor Meet.
- Garn’s time ranks 13th in the nation, and sits second in the conference to last week’s America East Male Track Performer of the Week, New Hampshire’s Drew Piazza. The Wildcats runner’s time is four-hundredths of a second faster than Garn’s.
Male Field Performer of the Week
Michael Shanahan, New Hampshire, Sophomore, Dover, New Hampshire
- Michael Shanahan won the weight throwing events at the Rhode Island Invitational with a toss of 62’ 10.00”. Shanahan has won every weight throwing event he has taken part in this year thus far. The throw was the furthest among all America East competitors this week.
- This is the second time Michael Shanahan has won the America East Field Performer of the Week.
Female Track Performer of the Week
Mercedes Jackson, UMBC, Senior, Huntingtown, Maryland
- Mercedes Jackson won both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge, hosted by Penn State.
- The senior set a new conference best in the 60-meter dash, completing the sprint in 7.43 seconds. Jackson won the 200-meter event in 24.24 seconds.
- This is the second time Mercedes Jackson has been named the America East Track Performer of the Week.
Female Field Performer of the Week
Grace Weisbecker, Vermont, Sophomore, Tivoli, New York
- Grace Weisbecker won the pole vault event at the Scarlet & White Invitational with a clearing mark of 3.80 meters. The sophomore tied her own school record, and the mark currently ranks second in the America East.
- This is the second time that Grace Weisbecker has been named the America East Field Performer of the Week.
Male Indoor Track & Field Notes
- Binghamton and UMBC both ran in State College, Pennsylvania at the Sykes & Sabock College. Jesse Garn who won the 800-meter race, completing the race in 1:48.57, a pace that ranks thirteenth in the national, led the Bearcats. In addition to Garn, senior Ethan Hausamann and junior Joe Miceli performed well. Hausamann took third in the 5,000-meter (14:34.58) and Miceli tied for seventh in the pole vault (12’ 11.25”).
- For UMBC, the highlights came by way of junior Daryian Miles in the 60-meter dash, and junior Hassan Omar in the 3,000-meter race. Miles finished seventh in the dash, timing in a 6.89. Omar set a new school record in the 3,000-meter event, finishing second with a time of 8:18.07, just two-hundredths of a second behind the winner. In the field, senior Yao Adantor placed fifth in shot put (16.90 meters).
- Hartford University competed in the Dartmouth Classic alongside fellow conference member UMass Lowell. For the Hawks, freshman Brian Calderaro was the only top-ten finisher; he ran the 500-meter race with a time of 1:08.91.
- For the River Hawks, there were three winners at the event. Patrick Greaney won the long jump (22’ 1”), John Fiorello took the shot put (52’ 11.50”), and Gilberto Brown placed first in the high jump (6’ 8”).
- The University of Maine was victorious in their dual meet against Holy Cross. Leaders for the Black Bears include Wilson Adams, Assad Hicks, Scott Merrill, and Mozai. Adams set a won the weight throw with a new season-best (61’ 5.00”), Hicks took the high jump (6’ 5.50”), Merrill took top honors in the 500-meter (1:06.47), and Nelson raced to first in the 60-meter dash (7.02) and 200-meter (22.95).
- New Hampshire came in third at Mackal Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Rhode Island. Junior D’mahl McFadden took first in the 60-meter hurdles (8.40), and senior Zachary Chabot took fourth place in the 1000-meter (2:32.38). Sophomore Michael Shanahan won the weight throw, like he has in every meet he has this year, with a distance on 62’ 10.00”. In addition, freshman Alexander Tamulonis won the pole vault with a height on 14’ 3.25”.
- Stony Brook sent runners to the Giegenack Invitational and Metropolitan Championships. Junior Alex Lopresti clocked a winning time of 2:28.57 in the 1,000-meter run at Giegengack, and senior Chris Hand placed sixth at the weight throw (16.59) at the Metropolitan Championship at the Armory Track.
- Both Dan Moroney and Nick DeLuna broke school records at Boston University’s Scarlet & White Invitational. Moroney won the 5,000-meter race with a new school record time of 14:33.61. DeLuna was victorious in the 500-meter race with his school record time of 1:04.99. In the field, the leader for the Catamounts was Ian Weider, who took fourth place in the long jump (6.71 meters).
Female Indoor Track & Field Notes
- Binghamton and UMBC ran in State College, Pennsylvania at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge. Keishorea Armstrong led the Bearcats; he took second place in the 60-meter dash (7.62), and fifth in the 200-meter (24.50). Senior Alexis Hatcher was tenth overall in the mile, but her time of 5:00.37 broke the previous Bearcat top mark of 5:03.42. In the field, Freshman Malaika Palacios finished fifth in the long jump, and her distance of 18’ 1” broke Binghamton’s freshmen record.
- UMBC’s distance medley team broke the previous school record with their third place finish at the Sykes & Sabock. Angelina Oputa, Essence Fredericks, Mary Katherine Kulp, and Sarah Daly crossed the finish line in 11:42.27. Senior Mercedes Jackson won the 60-meter dash (7.43) and 200-meter (24.24). In the field, Alisha Beeman finished in a three-way tie for sixth in the high jump (5’ 4.25”.)
- Hartford and UMass Lowell did battle at the Dartmouth Classic. The women’s side of the Hawks was led by Kafesha Thomas, who finished the 60-meter dash in 8.12 seconds, fast enough for a seventh place finish. Other top ten finishes for Hartford were sophomore Mikela Freeman in the 1,000-meter (3:10.33), Briana Burt in the 60-meter hurdles (10.11), and Maggie Fuller in the 500-meter (1:24.66).
- The freshman sensation Kerstin Darsney led the UMass Lowell River Hawks once again. The Rowley, Mass. native won the long jump with a distance on 17’ 9.50”, and in addition she placed sixth in the 200-meter dash (25.85), and ninth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.63). UMass Lowell did have a top three finisher in the 60-meter dash; Taelour Murphy ran the race in 7.78 seconds.
- The University of Maine fell in a dual meet against Holy Cross. Robyn McFetters recorded a first place finish in the weight throw with a mark of 53’ 00.25”. Jaclyn Masters won the pole vault, jumping to a mark of 11’ 9.75”, and Grace MacLean won both the long jump (5.22 meters), and 60-meter hurdles (9.02).
- New Hampshire placed sixth out of ten schools at the URI Coaches vs. Domestic Violence Invitational. Senior Jessica Salley won the high jump event at 1.70 meters; she has finished first in all high jumping events she has competed in this season. Junior Lauren Perrodin came in third in the 60-meter dash (7.75), and senior Virginia Lavalle placed fifth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.03).
- Stony Brook University’s Shanee Grant headlined the Seawolves efforts at the Giegengack Invitational. Grant secured second place in the 500-meter dash with a time of (1:16.63). Classmate Kaylyn Gordon placed sixth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.87 seconds.
- Grace Weisbecker, Mallory Honan, Cassie Marion, and Sydney Kurtic propelled Vermont’s efforts at the Scarlet & White Invitational. Weisbecker matched her school record with a 3.80-meter pole vault jump on her way to winning the event. Honan was the top finisher for the Catamounts in the long jump (5.50), Marion placed fifth in the triple jump (11.39 meters), and Kurtic registered a personal best of 12.59 meters in the weight throw.
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
Jan. 20
Male Track Performer of the Week: Kevin Greene, New Hampshire
Male Field Performer of the Week: Martin Kallur, Vermont
Female Track Performer of the Week: Grace Claxton, Albany
Female Field Performer of the Week: Briana Cherry-Bronson, Albany
Jan. 27
Male Track Performer of the Week: Jason Tomlinson, Albany
Co-Male Field Performer of the Week: Matthew Campbell, Albany
Co-Male Field Performer of the Week: Alexander Bowen Jr., Albany
Female Track Performer of the Week: Grace Claxton, Albany
Female Field Performer of the Week: Christy DiMichele, Binghamton
Feb. 3
Male Track Performer of the Week: Drew Piazza, New Hampshire
Female Track Performer of the Week: Christina Melian, Stony Brook
Male Field Performer of the Week: Yao Adantor, UMBC
Female Field Performer of the Week: Briana Cherry-Bronson, Albany
Feb. 10
Male Track Performer of the Week: Jesse Garn, Binghamton
Female Track Performer of the Week: Mercedes Jackson, UMBC
Male Field Performer of the Week: Michael Shanahan, New Hampshire
Female Field Performer of the Week: Grace Weisbecker, Vermont