Men’s and women’s Track and Field shines in multiple events
The 13th annual Giegengack University Invitational marked a winning performance from Saint Joseph’s University’s men’s and women’s track and field on Feb. 3-4. The meet was held at Yale University’s Coxe Cage in New Haven, Conn.
The men brought home four individual wins and a relay victory. The women also emerged victorious with three individual wins and one relay win as well. The men’s team had six other IC4A-qualifying events and the women’s team had four other ECAC-qualifying events.
Women’s Head Coach Melody O’Reilly was thrilled with the results from this weekend, calling it a success “across the board from the sprints right through the distances.”
The men’s 4×400 meter relay team consisted of senior Brandon Ossont, junior Kenny Evely, junior Barren McCoy, and senior captain Torey Doaty. They finished the race with a time of 3:19.10.
When asked what the team can work on for the future of the season, men’s Coach Mike Glavin said, “I think bringing more of those who are capable to the top.”
The women’s 4×400 meter relay squad included sophomore Nathaniela Bourdeau, junior Steph Toland, freshman Tamar Bourdeau, and freshman Sophia Recchilungo, and finished in 3:55.77. Quinnipiac University finished second and LaSalle University finished third.
Additional individual wins from the men’s team included the 500 meter, 400 meter, 800 meter, and 5000 meter. Doaty won the 500 meter for the seventh time in his career with a time of 1:04.53. Evely won the 400 meter with a time of 49.54. Senior Jack Magee won the 800 meter with a time of 1:54.99, taking home his first collegiate win. Junior Anthony Morelli won the 5000 meter with a time of 15:25.72. Doaty, Evely and Morelli all brought home season bests for the Hawks.
The women’s team’s additional victories were in the 400 meter, the 60 meter and the 200 meter. Senior Courtney Foster won the 400 meter with a time of 56.32, accomplishing her second-fastest career time for indoor track.
Nathaniela Bourdeau certainly made her mark this weekend by finishing the 200 meter in first place with a season-best time of 25.59. She also took first in the 60 meter preliminaries at 7.84 and soon after took first place at 7.77 to earn the title for the 60 meter. With these victories and her aforementioned contribution to the women’s relay win, Bourdeau was unstoppable at this invitational.
“She [Nathaniela Bourdeau] had a stellar two days,” O’Reilly said.
Both teams set an impressive amount of personal records at this meet, including some of the younger Hawks. For the men’s team, 26 PRs were set, including freshman Justin Moscoe setting two PRs in the 200 meter (22.67) and the 400 meter (50.55). Sophomore Tommy Higley set a PR in the 3000 meter (8:40.69).
“From a personal point of view, it was very successful,” Glavin said.
Junior Dave Garton set a PR in the mile (4:12.03) and junior Collin Crilly set a PR in the same race (4:12.40).
Speaking to the success of the two mile runners, Glavin said the benefits of their hard work has been “showing up for them in spades.”
For the women’s team, freshman Michaela Urbach set a PR in the 800 meter (2:20.48). In the same race, senior Julia Jenkins set a PR (5:13.52) and sophomore Britton Gagliardi did as well (5:14.43).
“We want to get more people qualified for the ECAC meet before we go to A-10,” O’Reilly said. “We need to stay healthy and keep doing what we’re doing.”
Coming up for the Hawks is the Fastrack National Invitation which will be Feb. 10 at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, NY. Following that on Feb. 11 will be the Monmouth Winter Invitational at Monmouth University’s OceanFirst Bank Center.
