the Informer

On Feb. 13, the University of Hartford’s track and field teams ventured to the Empire State to compete at the Lafayette-Rider Winter Games. The Hawks had their work cut out for them Friday, running on one of the fastest indoor tracks in the country, the NYC Armory. The team was successful in putting down seven school records in their final indoor competition before the America East Championships.

For the women, several of the Hawks continued to flourish in their individual events all season long. On Friday, Brittney Lawson and Caitlyn Hauswirth proved that they could beat the previous school records they owned, for the second week in a row.

Lawson has had a great year in the weight throw, getting better and better as her young career continues. The true freshman has impressed spectators this indoor season, rewriting the school record a stunning four times this season. The fourth reset occurred Friday when Lawson threw for a distance of 15.32 earning her a fourth place standing. Also improving her previous showing at The Dartmouth Indoor Classic, Hauswirth topped the record she broke last week by .10 meters in the pole vault. The sophomore cleared a height of 3.00 meters, landing her a 15th-place finish overall.

Other impressive efforts for the women Saturday, were those of Nicolle Adams and Ariana Bass. Adams, who placed third in last week’s long jump, surpassed her performance last week and the previous school record in Friday’s event. Her leap of 5.45 meters crowned her the best standing for the women, having the second best jump overall. Senior, Ariana Bass had yet another great run in the 500-meter dash in New York. She finished fourth with a time of 1:20.86.

The men’s team highlighted the day with great individual performances and the shattering of one of Hartford’s dormant team relay records. On the track, three runners put their names in Hartford’s record book. Sprinters Warren Lane and Anderson Emerole finished in the top three in their respected events. Lane finished a mere .11 seconds behind the lead runner, Justin Worthing of The College of New Jersey in the 500-meter dash. Lane’s run topped his previous school milestone with a time of 1:05.01.

After finishing second last week in the 200-meter, Anderson Emerole sprinted the extra distance in the 400-meter run on the Armory track. He earned the third place honor, breaking the previous school record for the 400-meter. As for the men’s distance running events, Andrew Chalmers showcased his endurance running past his previous school record.
Last week, the men’s 4×200 meter relay team crippled a six-year school record but it was the 4×800 team who highlighted the relays at the Armory this week. The team consisting of Wayne Lawrence, Bobby Giuliani, Chris Rodriguez and Mike DuPaul, ran through the school record for the 4×800 meter, which stood since 2005. The team’s effort rewarded them a second overall finish.

Hartford’s track and field team consisted of upcoming freshmen talent, reliable senior performances, and great teamwork within the relay teams all season long. On Friday, Feb. 19, the Hawks will use the experience gained in the 2010 indoor season to fight for the America East Championship in Boston.