Track and field shows to be impressive at Colonial Relays
Over 40 track and field teams geared up to compete in the Colonial Relays on March 30-April 1. The men’s and women’s track teams had their share of success over the weekend with the men’s team excelling overall and the women’s squad with individual performances.
The men’s team placed ninth overall, competing against 46 teams. Runners earned points as they shined individually, six events qualifying to compete for the IC4A championships at the end of the season.
“We had a lot of very good performances,” said Head Coach Mike Glavin.
Senior Torey Doaty led the men’s effort with his gold medal performance in the 400 meter hurdles, beating almost 50 other competitors. With this race, he qualified for the IC4A’s and earned the Hawks one third of their 30 points for the weekend.
Another IC4A qualifier was senior Dan Savage, who turned in a fifth place performance in the 3000 meter steeplechase in a field of 43.
Additional qualifiers were senior Jimmy Daniels, juniors Dave Garton and Anthony Morelli and sophomore Dylan Eddinger.
Glavin was happy with how individuals performed this early in the outdoor season.
“We need to start focusing on as many of the individual things as we can,” he said. “The big deal is to make sure you’re ready for the Atlantic 10 conference and to qualify for the IC4A’s.”
Relays were a point of success for the team as well, all but two of them scoring for the Hawks. The sprint medley relay, consisting of freshman Justin Moscoe, Doaty, senior Eddison Gulama and junior Steve Thompson, had a notable fourth place finish. Other relays that scored were the 4×800 meter, the distance medley and the 4×1500 meter.
“We had some good competition going on this weekend,” Glavin said.
The women’s squad turned in some good performances as well over the weekend, according to Head Coach Melody O’Reilly.
“We had a few really strong performances this weekend, and I expected that,” she said.
She cited the meet as the first real outdoor competition for younger runners on the team.
“I’m happy with where we started,” O’Reilly said.
Fifth-year senior Dannah Hayward led the way for the Hawks, earning an ECAC-qualifying fourth place finish out of 64 runners in the 400 meter. She also anchored the sixth-place 4×400 meter relay made up of sophomore Kelly Liebl, senior Angelena Minniti and senior Courtney Foster that qualified for the ECAC’s as well.
Foster put on a notable performance in the 400 meter as well, earning the fifth place spot right behind Hayward.
The sprint medley relay consisting of sophomore Nathaniela Bourdeau, freshman Caroline Duffy, Minniti and senior Sarah Regnault just missed a school record in the event by hundredths of a second, but still qualified for ECAC’s with their seventh place finish.
Both the men’s and women’s teams’ performances are impressive as according to O’Reilly, the first races of the season consist of the athletes “getting back into it.”
The Hawks have a busy weekend ahead, as they will travel to Princeton, N.J. on April 7 for the Sam Howell Invitational, followed by the Rider Invitational in Lawrenceville, N.J. on April 8.
“We just need to continue competing well and running faster,” Glavin said.
