Track and Field 02.14.18
Sports

Track and Field Competes at Fastrack and Iowa State

Monmouth’s track and field team is at it again, with even more championship qualifications. The Hawks had very impressive statistics during last week’s meets in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania at the Scarlet & White Invitational, the Crimson Elite, and the Villanova Invitational, and it’s clear that the team’s momentum followed them to the Fastrack National Invite at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Friday, Feb. 9. Meanwhile, at the Iowa State Classical, fifth-year Dylan Capwell and graduate student Chris Marco competed against nationally ranked competition.

At the Fastrack National Invite, the Hawks had several high finishes as well as a couple new Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifying marks. Junior Ashley McKinnon finished second in the triple jump with an ECAC qualifying jump of 11.87 meters. Senior Allie Wilson placed fifth in the 800-meter with a time of 2:10, with freshman teammate Kyra Velock following closely behind with a time of 2:12, and junior Amber Stratz joins them with an ECAC qualifying time of 2:13.45. Sophomore Nioami Miranda ran a season best time of 57.81 seconds, finishing fourth in the 400-meter dash, and sophomore Dayna Luma ran the mile in 5:16 to place fifth in the event. The 4×400 meter team consisting of Wilson, juniors Brianna Stratz, Amber Stratz, and Chandi Piiru came in sixth with a time of 3:54.12.

In field events, the lady Hawks continued to shine. Junior Allison Taub placed third in the shot put with a mark of 47’6”, freshman Samantha Fellowes cleared 1.55 meters and tied for eighth in the high jump, and graduate student Casey Sturts places fourth in the pole vault by clearing 3.60 meters.

As for the men’s statistics, sophomore Evan Adams placed fourth in the high jump by clearing 6’4.5” and senior Corey Murphy finished second just behind the winner of the shot put with a throw of 17.99 meters. Junior Matt Farrell finished sixth in the mile with an impressive time of 4:19, senior Bryan SoSoo placed in the 60-meter dash crossing the finish line with a time of 6.90 second, and the distance medley relay (DMR) team of freshman Tim Euler, sophomore Ryan Rafferty and seniors Jack Grace and Jake Howell placed third with a finishing time of 10:23.53.

At the Iowa State Classic, Capwell finished the 800-meter as the eighth best collegian with a time of 1:48.82, and Marco finished 29 overall in the mile with a notable time of 4:11.09.

“That was a solid tune-up for us as we head into our championship meets,” said Head Coach Joe Compagni. “As a team we’re looking forward to the challenges in front of us.”

This upcoming Saturday and Sunday [Feb. 17 & 18], the Hawks will be competing in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships amongst the 11 other schools included in this conference. The championship meet will be held at the 168th Street Armory in New York City, with events starting at 4:00 p.m. both days. The Monmouth women’s track and field team have won four straight MAAC Indoor Championships, and the Monmouth men’s team have won three of the last four years. Going along with what Compagni said, and the intensity of the upcoming championship meet, the Hawks will be looking to bring home another two championships.

PHOTO COURTESY of Tom Connelly