The Monmouth University men’s and women’s track teams went to Boston University this weekend to compete for the ICA4/ECAC Championships. The women took 9th place with their third straight season in the top-10. The men finished in 11th place, which was the fourth best in school history.
Junior Tionna Garner took home the gold in the 500m, running a time of 1:10:31, which bested her own previous school record. This was the first ECAC gold medal for the event in school history. The men’s team also represented five out of the Hawk’s total eight All-East members.
“After winning conferences and going after a big race last weekend I was excited about ECACs,” Garner said. “I knew running a fast time should come from the weekend, but I wasn’t really expecting for the results to be that great.”
Garner also participated in the 4×800 relay along with Jenna Cupp, Lindsey Bellaran and Kendal Hand, taking home second place with a time of 8:44.08. This mark was also an MU record. Bellaran and Cupp took fourth and fifth respectively in the mile with times of 4.51.31 and 4:52.25, earning them both All-East Honors.
“Boston’s atmosphere is always high intensity and being able to be in that atmosphere with my teammates only made the weekend better,” Cupp said.
Also earning All-East honors were the distance medley relay team of Allie Wilson, Andrea Olsen, Brianna Stratz and Molly McKeon as the squad ran to a time of 11:45.80 to claim eighth.
“It is a great accomplishment for the Monmouth women to be in the top 10 at this meet for the third years in a row. They had done outstanding performances to make that happen,” said MU track coach Joe Compagni. “The men had an amazing meet here last year to win the IC4A title, and this weekend was not at that same level. But to earn eight All-East honors in six different events is quite an accomplishment as well.”
In the shot put, sophomore Corey Murphy took third and senior captain Tevin Kirby-Stewart placed fourth with respective distances of 58’1” and 56’6.75”. Both made All-East Honors.
Among the other men who achieved All-East recognition were Bryan Sosoo and senior Ahmier Dupree. Dupree took sixth in the 200, breaking his own school record with a time of 21.50.
“Both the men and the women really made the most of their opportunities in the finals at a very high quality meet today,” said Compagni, who claimed the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Women’s Coach of the Year honor on Friday. “They represented Monmouth very well competing against the top schools in the East.”
Though the 2016 indoor track season is dwindling, junior Dylan Capwell will compete next week for the Hawks in the 2016 NCAA championship in the 800m. Sophomore Bryan Sosoo is also hopefully awaiting a bid to U.S. Indoor Championships in Portland next weekend for the 60m dash.
PHOTO COURTESY of Tom Connelly
