Track & Field Return With Success at Wesleyan

By in Sports,

Photo Courtesy of Hartford Sports Information

On Saturday, the University of Hartford’s track and field team opened their 2010 season at the Wesleyan Invitational in Middletown Conn. After just two days of practice, the men’s and women’s teams capitalized on several events to start the year.

The men shined in the 400-meter dash, with Anderson Emerole finishing first and teammate Warren Lane right behind. In the 800-meter run, senior Mike Dupaul squeezed out a first place victory by a margin of less than a tenth of a second. Dupaul’s performance set a new school record for the 800-meter. Sophomore Andrew Chalmers continued his success at Hartford in Saturday’s meet, clinching first place in the 5000-meter run. He finished 16 seconds before the second place runner with a time of 16:00.72.

Freshman Nicole McClintock was one of many who made her presence known in Saturday’s invitational for the women. She came in second in the 200-meter dash and fifth in the 400-meter dash. McClintock’s roommate, Priscilla Appiagyei, also had a great performance in the 400-meter dash placing second.
On the opening day of their final season, seniors Kaycee Martinez and Ariana Bass looked to continue their great careers. Kaycee Martinez was switched to the 800-meter run from the 400-meter hurdles to start the 2010 season. She finished seventh in the debut of her new role. The Hawk’s standout qualified for the NCAA regional twice in the 400-meter hurdles in years past. Ariana Bass finished in fifth place in the 600-meter run.

The Hawks had a great showing this Saturday in the field events, including two broken school records. One new record was set by rookie Brittney Lawson in the weight throw, with a toss of 14.40 meters. Diana Kornberg broke the other record that day for the women, with an 11.48 meters toss in the shot put. The women also had a strong performance in the long jump and triple jump events. For the long jump, Nicolle Adams placed first with Kristalena Lamore in second. Lamore also placed second in the triple jump.

The last events for the men and women at the Wesleyan Invitational were the relay races for each squad. When speaking about the races, coach Manizza stressed that, “We have focused on bringing in good athletes for the relays as a way to make a small name for our team, in what is a very tough track and field conference.”

The team proved they were determined to make a name for themselves in the competitive America East Conference, finishing first in both the men and women’s 4×400 meter relays. After opening up the season by breaking three school records and winning seven events at the Wesleyan Invitational, the track and field team prepares for the Reebok-Boston Indoor Games on Friday, Jan. 29.


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