The Monmouth University men’s track and field team finished first at the 94th IC4A Indoor Championships for the first time in school history on Sunday at Boston University, with 58 points to place first out of 100 total schools. The MU women took 10th of 86 schools at the ECAC Championships.
“For our men to put the Monmouth name in the record books along with some of the best teams in the history of collegiate track and field is pretty special,” said Head Coach Joe Compagni.
The MU men defeated Georgetown, the second place finisher, by a 58-51 and had in total 10 All-East performers in eight different events to earn the first IC4A title in school history. The women claimed 10th of 86 schools, the second-best finish in school history. Four Hawks on the women’s side earned All-East finished in four individual events and two relays. The women’s team had a combined 25.5 points.
Senior Jalen Walker became the eighth IC4A indoor champion in school history, winning the 60 hurdles with a personal best and school record time of 7.90 seconds. “It was awesome to win the IC4A 60h and break the school record, but I am most happy for being able to make Monmouth history with my teammates,” Walker said.
He was joined by junior Geordan Ferguson, an All-East honoree, who finished eighth. Senior captain Ben Boyd lowered his own school record in the 400, running 47.45 to finish third with All-East honors. Freshman Bryan Sosoo finished fourth in the 60m dash running 6.89, while junior Ahmier Dupree finished seventh in 6.96. Dupree ran the 200 meter the previous day breaking the school record. “Breaking the 200 record shows how hard I trained all year,” Dupree said “Yes it feels good to win but making history as a team to win IC4A’s is even better. I’m just glad to be apart of history.”
Sophomore Dylan Capwell earned All-east honors finishing second, lowering his own school record that he set the previous day in the trials in the 500, running 1:01.87. Senior Andrew Langille earned an IC4A silver medal, taking second in the 800 running 1:50.46. Senior Khari Bowen ran 14:34.53 in the 5k, the second best indoor time in school history.
Senior captain Taylor Bernstein placed third in the shot put, throwing 58’8”. Junior Liam Vogt earned All-East honors, finishing fifth in the long jump for the second year in a row, after taking eighth last year. Senior Joey Marini finished third in the triple jump with a jump of 49’6 ½.
On the women’s side, senior captain Lauren McDonald was All-East in the pole vault beating her own school record with a jump of 12’7.5” to finish tied for fourth. Sophomore Casey Sturts took 11th with a vault of 11’11”.
The 4×800 lowered their school record from the previous days trials to 8:46.56. The team of freshman Allie Wilson, freshman Danielle Leavitt, sophomore Jenna Cupp and sophomore Tionna Garner ran a tough race, finishing third.
The distance medley relay team was made up of sophomore Molly McKeon in the 1200, sophomore Andrea Olsen in the 400, junior Kendal Hand in the 800 and junior Sydney Engelberger in the 1600 finished second overall to earn All-East honors. Their time of 11:47.68 is second best in school history.
Engelberger ran 4:56.27 in the mile on Saturday in the trials, running the second fastest time in school history and just missing finals. Hand ran 2:11.99 on Saturday, a personal best in the 800 trials, just missing finals as well. Senior captain Kate Frye earned All-East honors as she finished eighth overall in the 400 running an indoor personal best of 55.29.
Freshman Domoah Kutu-Akoi finished fourth in long jump with a personal best of 19’2.75” to earn All-East honors. Kutu-Akoi went on to place eighth in the 60 meter dash where she previously tied the school record with a time of 7.63.
“As a freshman I’m honored and happy that I was able to contribute to the team and have a chance to experience a new level of competition,” Kutu-Akoi said.
“Both the men and the women had to put up some elite level performances against some great programs to earn our team finishes,” said Compagni.
Capwell will compete in the 800 at the NCAA Championships at the University of Arkansas next week as the only Hawk to qualify, with the trials of the event being held on Friday, March 13. The Hawks will start their outdoor season in two weeks at Wake Forest on March 20th and 21st.
PHOTO COURTESY of Mel Lewis
