CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The 2015 America East Indoor Track and Field Championship kicks off this week at The Armory in New York City. Competitors ranging across all nine competing schools rank tops in the nation in various events. Numerous conference championship record are set to fall at this year’s championship, which promises to be a competitive gathering.
Men’s Preview
Albany’s marquee track performers on the men’s side are juniors Taariq Jones and Jason Tomlinson. Taariq holds the fastest time in the 400-meter dash at 47.71, and Tomlinson holds the top time in the 500-meter with a pace of 1:03.12. In the field, the Great Danes perform very well in the high jump; senior Alexander Bown Jr. and sophomore Matthew Campbell each jumped to a conference high mark of 7’ 0.5”. The Purple and Gold hold the top three distances in the America East in the long jump; underclassmen Jordan Crump-King and Mande Semon each leapt to 22’ 11.25”. There must be something in the water in Albany, for the jumping events are a Great Dane forte. In addition to the high jump and long jump, the Great Danes hold the top for lengths in the triple jump among all America East competitors: Crump-King once again leading the pack at 49’ 3”. The last field event where Albany holds the conference edge is the weight throw; sophomore Jonathan Eustache tossed to a league-leading length of 63’ 9.75” at the Millrose Games just last week.
Bearcats most prominent force is last championship’s Most Outstanding Track Performer Jesse Garn, a senior who dominates the 800-meter race. Garn recently ran the event in 1:46.98 at the Iowa State Classic. The senior also runs the 1,000-meter well, holding this season’s fastest time among America East runners at 2:21.10. Not to be outdone, Jon Alkins holds the current conference best time in the 200-meter dash, completing the sprint in 21.74. In the field, the Bearcats have two pole vault competitors tied atop the America East lead; sophomore Peter Fagan and junior Joe Miceli each hopped to a height of 16’ 4.75” at one point this season.
Hartford sophomore Dominic DiCarlo has the 18th fastest time in the 60-meter dash this season, completing the event in 7.14 seconds at the 2014 Jay Carisella Track & Field Invitational. Turning away from the track, Hawks junior Robert Pepper recorded a score of 43’ 3.25” in the triple jump, which ranks 11th in the America East this season.
The University of Maine has many student-athletes that rank in the top-10 within various events. Freshman Nelson Mozai is sixth in the conference with 1 7.00 60-meter dash, and senior Joseph Viola sits in fifth in the 400-meter at a stride of 48.79 seconds. Scoring a 1:05.51 time in the 500-meter, senior Scott Merrill has the ninth fastest time in the conferece. The weight throw is the best field event for the Black Bears; Adam Wilson ranks third in the America East with a throw of 61’ 5.5”
The UMBC Retrievers have the fastest 60-meter dash time this season, coming from junior Dayian Miles who ran a 6.88 at the Penn State National Invitational. The Retrievers hold the conference’s fastest time in the distance relay with a time of 10:08.47. Away from the running, it’s Yao Adantor who has dominated the Shot Put in the America East this year; the senior holds the current conference high with a throw of 56’ 3.75”.
UMass Lowell has many athletes that sit in the top five of various events in the America East this year. Senior Tunde Ogunleye holds the second fastest time in conference in the 200-meter and 400-meter at 21.90 and 47.82. Freshman Marcus Duncan has the fourth fastest 500-meter in the conference at 1:04.66, just as senior Robert Allen has the fourth fastest time in the mile with 4:08.93. In the 3,000-meter, Allen sits second in the America East with a time of 8:13.79, and teammate Paul Hogan sits in fourth, crossing the finish line at 8:18.26. In the field, Oluwatoni Onikeku and Gilberto Brown sit third and fourth in the conference (6’ 9”/ 6’ 8.75”) in the high jump, and senior Garrett King has the fifth tallest pole vault (15’ 5.5”). A fellow River Hawk, Patrick Greaney, sits in fifth in the long jump, hopping to a length of 22’ 7.25”, and John Foirello has the third longest shot out throw in the AEC at 52’ 11.5”.
New Hampshire has many of the fastest runners this season. Sophomore Christopher Poggi holds the second fastest 500-meter in the conference at 1:03.91, and the third fastest 800-meter as well with a time of 1:51.82. Sophomore Drew Piazza has the second fastest 800, over three seconds faster than his teammate at 1:48.53. The Wildcats hold the poll spots in the mile, and 3,000-meter: Kevin Green ran the 5,280 foot race in 4:04.73, and John Prizzi finished the long-distance competition in 8:10.52 just last week. New Hampshire’s sophomore Michael Shannahan has been consistent in the shot put all year, and he currently holds the fifth longest toss in the America East this year at 50’ 9.25”. Add to Shannahan’s resume; he holds the second longest weight throw, just two inches behind the conference leader at 63’ 7.75”.
The Stony Brook Seawolves have three student-athletes that rank among the top five in an event this year. In the 5,000-meter, Mitchell Kun sits in fourth with the time of 14:44.26. Lamar Hayes has the fourth longest recorded long jump distance at 22’ 8.5”, and senior Chris Hand has the fourth longs weight throw toss of 56’ 8”.
The Catamounts of Vermont have Romario Bailey, who holds the third fastest conference time in the 60-meter at 6.92. Junior Dan Moroney holds the fastest 5,000-meter with a time of 14:33.61, and junior Martin Kallur sits atop the conference in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.18. Vermont also has the top two scores in the heptathon this season: Martin Kallur holds the highest at 5229, and fellow junior Ed Simon ranks second at 4870.
Here are the America East student-athletes that rank in the top-30 nationally in their respective events:
Albany
Jason Tomlinson: 25th in the 500-meter (1:04.09)
Binghamton
Jesse Garn: 5th in the 800-meter (1:46.98)
Jesse Garn: 4th in the 1,000-meter (2:21.10)
Jesse Garn: 5th in the 1,5000-meter (3:49.41)
New Hampshire
Christopher Poggi: 19th in the 500-meter (1:03.91)
Drew Piazza: 17th in the 800-meter (1:48.53)
Kevin Greene: 26th in the mile (2:24.58)
Women’s Preview
On the track, the Great Danes ride the coat tails of Grace Claxton. The junior ranks fourth in the conference in the 200-meter (24.60), first in the 400-meter (54.85), and 500-meter (1:13.29). Albany has the top time in the 800-meter and 60-meter hurdle with junior Dominique Claudio at 2:09.82 and Michelle Anthony at 8.38. As a team, the Great Danes hold the fastest time in the 4x400 relay, 3:45.54)
Albany does very well in field events, having numerous student athletes either first or second in their respective events. Aiyanna James has the longest length in the long jump at 19’ 1.5”, and teammate Solene Bastien ranks second in the triple jump with a distance of 40’ 4.25”. Senior Janice Johnson has the second longest toss in the shot put at 43’ 7.25”, and the indoor pentathlon second ranked contributor is Paige Vadnais with 3371 points. The Great Danes hold the top three rankings in the weight throw: from third to first: Lauren Lopano (55’ 6.5”), Chinwe Igwe (55’ 8.25”) and Briana Cherry-Bronson (65’ 6.25”).
The Bearcats have the second fastest time in the 60-meter dash this year, Keishorea Armstrong finishing in 7.48 second at the Cornell Greg Page Realys. Armstrong also ranks third in the 200-meter, running the event with a time of 24.50 on February 6th, Junior Alexis Hatcher sits in third and fourth in the 1,000 meter (2:52.69), and mile (5:00.37) respectively. Binghamton runners Kierra Arthur and Srah Osaheni rank second and third conference-wide in the 60-meter hurdles with times of 8.84 and 8.89. Turning to the field, BU’s Christy DiMichele holds the tallest pole vault in the America East this year at 12’ 9.5”. In the triple jump event, Binghamton has eight contributors that sit inside the top-20 conference rankings. Armstrong holds the longest distance at 40’ 6.25”.
Senior Samantha Crisafulli leads the Hartford Hawks on the track. At the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational, Crisafulli recorded the 13th fastest time among America East runner in the 500-meter (1:18.43), and earlier in the year at the Joe Donahue Games she recorded the 11th fastest 800-meter (2:16.05). Her best event was the 1,000-meter when she recorded the conference’s second fastest time at 2:52.08, just two hundredths of a second behind the AEC leader.
Maine’s indoor track & field squad is anchored by their non-runners. Junior Jaclyn Masters sits third in the conference with a pole vault launch of 12’ 0”. Sophomore Ashley Donohoe sits fifth in the shot put with a throw of 41’ 10.5”, and fellow sophomore Grace MacLean sits fourth in the conference, scoring 3257 points in the indoor pentathlon. Another notable Black Bear in the field is Robyn McFetters, who ranks fourth in the America East with a 53’ 3.75” throw in the weight throw.
Last year’s most Outstanding Track Performer, UMBC’s Mercedes Jackson, ran the conference’s fastest 60-meter dash with a time of 7.43; she additionally sits in second in the 200-meter at 24.19. In the 500-meter, Paulette Fogle sits second in the conference, running the event in 1:14.68. The Retrievers have the second fastest time in the 4x400 relay, only behind Albany, with a time of 3:49.16. The distance medley belongs to UMBC, cranking out the fastest time in the America East by over 20 seconds, busting out a time of 11:42.27. In the field, Alisha Beeman is tied for the America East best with a 5’ 7.25” high jump. Freshman Ozioma Edokobi has the longest shot put throw, set at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge Cup, at 46’ 6.75”. The indoor pentathlon top score this season was set at the Beantown Challenge by freshman Kerstin Darsney with 3471 points.
The UMass Lowell River Hawks have a senior leader in Taelour Murphy. The sprinter has the fourth fastest 60-meter dash (7.66), second fastest 400-meter (54.89) and top 200-meter time (23.93). The River Hawks have freshman Celeste Pipia to rely on in the shot put; she currently ranks third in the conference with a best of 43’ 7”.
New Hampshire cross-country stand out Anne Twombly performs well on the indoor track as well, having the second fastest 800-meter time (2:13.28) and quickest mile (4:44.07) in the America East. Teammate, Laura Rose Donegan is on the senior’s heels, having the second ranked mile (4;52.64). Junior Chelsey Serrano has the runner-up time in the 3,000-meter at 9:48.54. The Wildcats possess the quickest 4x800 relay time in the conference, set at 9:33.04 at the New Hampshire vs. Holy Cross dual meet. In the field, senior Jessica Salley is tied for the tallest high jump at 5’ 7.25”.
The Seawolves have dominant times in the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter races; junior Christina Melian holds both the top marks in the America East by over fifteen seconds . Senior Jane Clark holds the slim conference leading time in the 1,000 meter (2:52.06), just two hunderths of a second ahead of Crisafulli of Hartford. Freshman Kaylyn Gordon is the top field performer for SBU, holding the second longest long jump in the America East with a distance of 18’ 7”.
Amber Peirsol, a junior who has performed well in the 1,000-meter and mile run, has led Vermont’s running team all year. The junior ranks seventh in the 1K with a time of 2:52.73, and fifth in the mile at 5:00.40. Fellow junior Alica Clark has performed well in the 5,000-meter, holding the third fastest time in the America East, finishing the race at 17:18.75. Sophomore Grace Weisbecker has been consistent in the pole-vaulting event this year, ranking second in the America East at 12’ 5.5”. Other top-ten finishers in field events include Tess Ehrlich sitting tied for eighth in the pole vault (10’ 6”), Mallory Honan holding eighth in the long jump (18’ 0.5”), and senior Cassie Marion ranking ninth in the triple jump (37’ 4.5”).
Here are the America East student-athletes that rank in the top-30 nationally in their respective events:
Albany
Grace Claxton: 26th in the 500-meter (1:14.22)
9th in the 4x200 relay (1:41.31)
Briana Cherry-Bronson: 30th in the weight throw (65’ 6.25”)
UMass Lowell
24th in the 4x200 relay (1:44.77)
New Hampshire
Lauren Perrodin: 22nd in the 55-meter (7.10)
Stony Brook
Christina Melian: 15th in the 5,000-meter (16:00.14)
Log on to AmericaEast.com to view the Indoor Track & Field Championship Central page for schedules, past results and more. You can also follow along with the championship via the conference twitter account (@AmericaEast). Join in the conversation at the America East Track & Field Championships by using #AEChamps on Twitter and Instagram. Fans are also encouraged to take photos and use #AESelfie to have their photo show up on our photo album on AmericaEast.com and Facebook, as well as be retweeted on Twitter.