Track and field prepares for ECAC’s
With just a week until their most important meet of the season, the men’s and women’s track and field teams travelled to Staten Island, N.Y. for the Fastrack Last Chance Invitational on Feb. 25. Runners and jumpers had one more chance to qualify for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships (ECAC’s) for the women and the IC4A’s for the men.
Not all members of the track and field teams competed at this meet, but the ones who did certainly left their mark.
For the women’s squad, the 4×800 meter relay won first place in addition to qualifying for the ECAC’s. The relay consisted of junior Cassidy Weimer, senior Kiersten Moylan, freshman Emily Bracken, and senior Sarah Regnault.
Sophomore Nathaniela Bourdeau took third and qualified in the 200 meter.
Women’s Head Coach Melody O’Reilly was pleased with her team’s performance just a week before regionals.
“We had some great performances and some ECAC qualifiers,” O’Reilly remarked. “The people we decided to travel [to this meet] were the ones who were really close to qualifying for ECAC’s and anyone who was running really well in order to get a new personal best.”
The men’s team did not have any additional qualifiers, but still had a good weekend, according to men’s Head Coach Mike Glavin.
“This is a meet to bring the young guys up for one last chance to do something big with the season, and we had some people do that,” Glavin said.
Senior Brandon Ossont and freshman Will Davies earned fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 500 meter.
Rookies in particular made progress at the meet. Three freshmen turned in season-best times: Colin Parker in the 800 meter, David Bryant in the 60 meter and 200 meter, and Aaron Lemma in the 400 meter. Freshman Josh Clark also shared in the rookies’ success, leading the Hawks in the mile and earning 11th place.
“It was a good effort, and it was worth the drive up the turnpike,” Glavin said about the meet.
With the Fastrack Last Chance Invitational out of the way, St. Joe’s looks forward to traveling to Boston, Mass. for the ECAC’s and the IC4A’s.
It will not be an easy race, with high caliber competition and the inability for some members of the men’s team to compete for various reasons according to Glavin.
“I’ve got my work cut out for me in deciding the final entries,” Glavin said.
The women’s team has high hopes for their ECAC’s, with one event closing in on a school record.
“The distance medley relay is trying to break a school record so that should be fun,” O’Reilly noted. “Individually, we have a lot of really solid performers who should do very well.”
The Hawks are looking to take flight for their most important meet of the season on March 3-5 for the ECAC’s.
“The whole group is looking forward to going up there and seeing what they could do to finish off their season,” O’Reilly said. “We’re pretty excited about it.”
