Fresh off its 2012 Northeast Conference Indoor Championships, the Monmouth University women’s and men’s track and field teams, ranked ninth and 10th respectively in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Index, returned home for the 2nd Annual Blue-White Invitational, Saturday afternoon at the Multipurpose Activity Center. At the event, which featured six collegiate teams, pole vaulting freshman Lauren McDonald (Roseland, N.J./West Essex Regional) set the new freshman record and facility mark for the women’s team. On the men’s squad, Joshua Lewis (Montville, N.J./Montville Township) qualified for the IC4A Championships in the long jump.
“While we did not have our full team in action after last weekend’s league championships, this was a great day for our field event athletes,” said head coach Joe Compagni. “They had some great results and lined up with some top-notch post-collegiate competitors.”
McDonald cleared 3.38m (11’ 1”) to earn first in the pole vault and set the new freshman standard. Her mark is .03m better than MAC record which was set last February.
Alison Day (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin) set the MAC record in the high jump with her mark of 1.73m (5’ 8”), also good for first in the event.
MU finished in the top-four of the weight throw led by Tilah Young’s (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) toss of 17.57m (57’ 7.75”), which also resulted in a facility record. Rachel Aliotta (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) finished second with her toss of 14.84m (48’ 8.25”) followed by Qiyanna Hill (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) and Jessica Toritto (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) who posted marks of 14.28m (46’ 10.25”) and 13.54m (44’ 5.25”), respectively.
Rookie Kate Frye (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant Boro) continued her stellar freshman campaign with her first place mark of 5.40m (17.8.75”) in the long jump.
Marissa Felicetti (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) earned her first career victory, finishing first in the 3,000 meter run with a time of 11:11.65.
In the shot put, Aliotta was the first MU finisher, second overall, with a throw of 13.51m (44’ 4”) followed by Amber Brown (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) in third with a mark of 12.06m (36’ 7”).
For the men’s team, Lewis cleared an IC4A qualifying mark of 7.06m (23’ 2”) to finish second overall in the long jump.
Peter Matano (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) vaulted himself to second place with a jump of 4.42m (14’ 6”). Craig Van Leeuwen of Apex Vaulting jumped 5.40m (17’) to set the new MAC record and narrowly missing the qualifying mark for the U.S. Indoor Championships.
Vincent Elardo (Forked River, N.J./Lacey), the NEC Champion in the shot put and weight throw, continued his stellar season with another first place result in the shot put. The senior threw for 17.61 (57’ 9.5”) followed by Errol Jeffrey (Brooklyn, N.Y./Transit Tech [Bronx CC]) who landed a throw of 16.86m (55’ 3.75”). Shane Carle (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) took third with a throw of 16.68m (54’ 8.75”).
Elardo, who finished in second, threw for 18.62m (61’ 1.25”) in the weight throw followed by Jeffrey in third who registered a mark of 16.59m (54’ 5.25”).
Josh Mann (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) cleared 13.76m (45’ 1.75”) in the triple jump, while Nick Waltman (Colonia, N.J./JFK Memorial) landed a jump of 13.71 (44’ 11.75”) for second.
Jake Bartlett (Middletown, N.J./CBA) posted a mark of 1.99m (6’ 6.25”) in the high jump followed by sophomore Ed Kramer (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee), who finished in second, with a jump of 1.94m (6’ 4.25”).
Aaron Aquino-Rodriguez (Haskell, N.J./Lakeland Regional) ran 50.75 in the 400 meter dash to finish third. Colin MacDonald (Dix Hills, N.Y./Commack [Wagner]) claimed third in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:59.52.
Dakota Dalzell (Margate, N.J./Atlantic City) crossed the finish line in 4:29.40 in the mile to earn third.
Eric Grossman (Rahway, N.J./Bishop George Ahr) and Daniel Rath (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) finished 2-3 in the 3,000 meter run, registering times of 9:24.55 and 9:28.60, respectively.
MU is back in action again on Thursday at the N.Y. Armory in its final tune-up before ECAC and IC4A Championships in Boston. Elardo, one of just three collegiate athletes in the country to throw over 60’ in both the shot and weight this winter, will compete at the U.S. Championships in the shot put next Friday in New Mexico.
