Track takes record-breaking pace to Messiah
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The word "break" too often has negative connotations in sports. With athletes periodically sustaining broken bones and balls sometimes breaking windows, it's good to see the word "break" associated with something other than damaged goods. And for this year's women's track team, the word "break" has meant fallen records and future success.
Over the past weekend, the men's and women's track contingents traveled to Graham, Pa., to compete at the Messiah Invitational. The women's team, which continues to show meet-by-meet improvement, placed fourth out of 13 schools while the men's team finished fifth in the overall team standings. The women's relay teams set two new school records in several relays, as well as a new freshman record in the steeplechase. A small group also competed at West Chester, Penn., to practice their individual races.
Freshman Laura Paulsen started off the day by scoring ten points for the Blue Jays, winning the 800 meters in a time of 2:20.16. Freshman Mira Patel, led by Paulsen's grueling pace, also managed to score in the race by placing fourth. For her breakthrough performance, Head Coach Bobby Van Allen awarded the Athlete of the Meet baton to Patel.
Senior Giselle Joseph, junior Jessica Reeves, sophomore Paula Osborn and sophomore Jordan Ireton smashed the 400-meter relay school record with a time of 50.49. Not wanting to be outdone by a freshman, sophomore Rachel Hogen also delivered a win in the 1500 meters. She ran the race in 4:56.42.
Besides also placing in the 4x400 meter relay, Joseph, Reeves and Osborn also placed in their individual events. Joseph ran the 100-meter dash in 12.84 for third place. Reeves placed in both the 100 meters (fifth) and the pole vault (third). Osborn ran the 200 meters and placed third with a time of 27.25.
Freshman Mary O'Grady continued to make strides in the steeplechase. She set a new freshman record for the event, earning third place.
The 4x800 meter relay team set a new school record with a time of 9:53.03, easily winning first place. The relay team included O'Grady, Patel, Hogen and Paulsen. All four runners ran their legs of the race in under 2:30 to combine for the school record and the win.
As for the field events, freshman Krystina Laucik placed fifth in the shot put with a distance of nine meters. Meanwhile, junior Chantel Priolo placed eighth in the javelin and 10th in the discus. In the pole vault, freshman Megan Wei tied for fourth place.
"I think as a whole we did about where we expected," freshman Jordan Litner said. "It's just another meet to help prepare us for conferences which are the first week of May."
For the men's team junior Tristan Thomas carried the leader's torch by placing third in the 100-meter dash in a time of 11.14. Thomas also placed sixth in the 200 meters with a time of 22.95. Freshman James Walker followed Thomas in the 200 meters, placing seventh with a time of 22.98.
The 4x100 relay had a season best performance with a time of 43.79. The team consisted of senior Jason Dubyoski, freshman Pierre Hage, Thomas and Walker. Freshman Graham Belton placed third in the 1500 meters race with a time of 4:05.68.
Out in the field, junior Matt Smith placed third in the high jump. The men's team's strongest member -- sophomore Peter Li -- scored in two events, placing third in the shot put and sixth in the discus throw. Also of note, sophomore Matt Trachtenberg placed fourth in the pole vault.
In the 400 meters, freshman Gordon Mack placed seventh with a time of 52.09. Nate Sotuyo broke the freshman record for the 800 meters, placing fifth with a time of 1:59.19.
Junior James Bronson placed fifth in the 1500 meters while Dubyoski also finished fifth but in the 400-meter hurdles. The 4x800-meter relay team placed fourth.
In the distance races, sophomore Doug Karlsberg placed sixth in the steeplechase and senior Justin DeAngelis placed seventh in the 10,000 meters. Michael Yuan finished eighth in the 5,000 meters.
At the small team meet in West Chester, several distance runners worked on their times and placed in their events. Sophomore Emma Hiza placed second in the 1500 meters with a time of 5:11.66. Senior Jacci Clauss followed her in the same event placing sixth. For the men, sophomore Geoff Nunns and junior Pat Brandon placed third and fourth respectively in the 1500 meter race with times of 4:16.47 and 4:16.74. Senior Jason Chiang and junior Andrew Lewis placed seventh and eighth in the same race.
The track team's next meet is on April 20 for the Widener Invitational.
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