The men and women’s track and field team of dominated in their fifth Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Indoor Championship this weekend at the 168th Street Armory in New York City, and brought back another championship; with the women’s team bringing home their fifth straight championship and the men bringing back their fourth championship in the last five years.
“Both teams executed well and competed with a ton of heart,” Head Coach Joe Compagni said. “Whether it was competing in multiple events, or staying ready for a relay, they all really put a championship effort out there.” Compagni won his 50th and 51st MAAC Coach of the Year.
The men finished with three sweeps in the 60 and 200 meter dashes as well as the shot put. The Hawks took over the top four spots in the 60-meter dash with senior Bryan Sosoo winning the race in 6.78 seconds, sophomore Ibrahim Massey in second with 6.87 seconds, freshman Joseph Miguerson coming in third with 6.93 seconds, and sophomore Peter Guerriero placing fourth in 6.99 seconds. The top four spots in the 200-meter dash were also Hawk heavy with Guerriero placing first in 22.00 seconds, while Massey finished just .01 seconds behind to place second, Miguerson coming in third with 22.35 seconds and Sosoo earning fourth in 22.41 seconds. Fifth year Malcolm Chavis earned points for Monmouth as well by placing sixth with a time of 22.58 seconds.
Senior Corey Murphy led the sweep in men’s shot put by winning the event with a mark of 62’1.25”. Junior Andrew Tummino and sophomore Brandon Davis took second and third place with marks of 55’9.25” and 54’4.5”, and freshman Andrew Huisman placed seventh with a throw of 53’4.25”.
Fifth year Dylan Capwell won the 800 meter in 1:51.53 while teammate graduate student Chris Marco took second with a time of 1:53.09, and junior Bryan Cabral earned a point for the Hawks by finishing eighth in 2:01.40. The relay team of Capwell, Marco, Cabral and sophomore Ryan Rafferty placed first in the 4×800 in 7:41.79. For the 4×400 relay, the team of freshman Tim Jacaoutot, senior Frank Conforti, Capwell and Chavis finished second with a time of 3:19.58. In the mile event, Marco, freshman Tim Euler, and senior Jake Howell placed fourth, seventh, and eighth with times of 4:07.56, 4:15.52, and 4:17.79.
Sosoo also won the triple jump with a jump of 48’7.5” with teammates juniors Darius Howe and Michael Pepper coming in third Mariah Hubbard finished in second behind McKinnon with a mark of 38’6.25”, and junior Patrice Baston placing seventh with a mark of 36’9”.
Senior Allie Wilson’s strong performance on Sunday was enhanced by her winning time of 4:56.35 in the mile. Freshman Kyra Velock took third with 4:58.38 and junior Amber Stratz placed sixth in 5:01.29. Junior Brianna Stratz won the 800-meters in 2:12.11 with Wilson finishing behind her in second with a time of 2:12.67. Juniors Chandi Piiru and Amber Stratz placed fourth and fifth with times of 2:12.82 and 2:13.67.
The relay team of Wilson, Stratz, Stratz, and Piiru won the 4×800 in 9:05.53. For the 60-meter dash, senior Domoah Kutu-Akoi, McKinnon, and sophomore Iyanna Jenkins went 3-4-5 with times of 7.62 seconds, 7.76 seconds, and 7.78 seconds. In the 60-meter hurdles, junior Dana Lynch placed fourth with a time of 8.87 seconds while sophomore Viviane Orleans placed sixth in 8.98 seconds.
Sophomore Nioami Miranda placed third overall in the 500-meter dash with a personal record of 57.80 seconds. The 4×400 realy team of Velock, sophomore Mackenzie Todd, freshman Amanda Dwyer, and Miranda placed third by finishing in 3:57.82. Kutu-Akoi, Jenkins, and McKinnon earned 14 points for Monmouth in the 200-meter dash with times of 25.15 seconds, 25.32 seconds, and 25.72 seconds.
In field events, junior Allison Taub won the shot put with a mark of 45’5.75” with teammate sophomore Jordan Wildermuth finishing behind her in second with a mark of 44’10.25.” Senior Alicia Hester and freshman Chibuzo Amonu both scored for Monmouth by placing fifth and sixth with throws measuring in at 42’ and 41’1”. Fifth year Casey Sturts broke a meet record in the pole vault events by clearing 12’8.25”, while freshmen Savanna Sachar and Taylor Clark took third and fifth by clearing 10’.
After bringing home another MAAC Championship, some of the Hawks will be traveling to Staten Island, N.Y. to compete at the Fastrack Last Chance Meet at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex next Saturday, Feb. 24.
PHOTO COURTESY of B51/Mark Brown
