Outdoor Track & Field Looks To Continue Growth, Success And Record Setting Pace During 2012 Campaign
The growth and success that the outdoor track and field program has experienced over the past three seasons at Massachusetts Maritime has not gone unnoticed across the region, as Co-Head Coaches Chris Barry and Cathy Lohse look to take the Buccaneers to new heights during the upcoming 2012 season.
Outdoor Track & Field has become the second largest program at the Academy under the watchful eyes of Barry and Lohse, who have combined to mentor a pair of Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference and New England Alliance individual champions and have seen their squad re-write the school record book in a very short time. Enthusiasm and excitement are literally running high along the banks of the Cape Cod Canal, as an experienced group of Buccaneers set its sights on even more success this spring.
Senior co-captain Chris Sullo (Canton, Mass./Canton) looks to close out his brilliant career with additional accolades in 2012, as the two-time defending MASCAC and Alliance high jump champion also earned all-New England honors in the event a year ago. Sullo will join fellow seniors Joseph Choiniere (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) and James Hutchinson (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke), along with junior Evan Balderelli (Brimfield, Mass./Tantasqua Regional), in serving as Massachusetts Maritime’s captains this spring, as the quartet is described by their coaches as “fully committed to the mission and continued growth of this program. They lead by example and have set a high standard for their teammates to emulate.”
Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2012 edition of Buccaneer Outdoor Track & Field:
SPRINTS/DISTANCE. Choiniere leads a talented group on the track side for Massachusetts Maritime, which also includes junior Laurence Tagger (Bourne, Mass./Bourne) and sophomore Liz Leonardi (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich), who holds the school record in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Senior Stephanie Lee (Acton, Mass./Scarsdale) also returns after a solid campaign in 2011 for the Buccaneers, while seniors Joseph Vitali (Killingworth, Conn./Haddam-Killingworth) and Stephen Downs (Marshfield, Mass./Sacred Heart), junior Aaron Mann (Woodbine, Ga./Camden County) and sophomore Ted Mello (Acushnet, Mass./Old Colony Regional) lend additional experience. Juniors Eric Shea (Milton, Mass./Xaverian) and Jacob Paige (East Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth), along with freshmen E.J. Bennett (East Wareham, Mass./Wareham), Godfred Mbengam (Randolph, Mass./Randolph), Mariah McGrath (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) and Steven O’Neil (North Attleboro, Mass./Tri-County), will look to contribute in sprints during their inaugural seasons with the program this spring.
Barry and Lohse welcome back equally talented distance runners in 2012, as Tagger and Leonardi are joined in that group by junior Corinne Prado (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham), sophomores Steven Migridichian (Shrewsbury, Mass./Bancroft School) and Kelci Sullivan (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson) as well as freshmen Brenton Andrews (Hubbardston, Mass./Quabbin Regional), Mark Baker (Charlestown, R.I./Chariho Reigonal), Alexander Barnas (Easton, Pa./Easton Area), Tyler Brady (Woburn, Mass./Woburn), Christian Collins (Brimfield, Mass./St. John’s) and Jacob Youssef (Kingston, Mass./Silver Lake).
THROWS. Hutchinson leads an experienced of Buccaneer throwers, as he looks to build on a third place finish in the javelin at last year’s MASCAC Championships. Fellow seniors Chris Dintino (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee), Nicholas Dierlam (Safety Harbor, Fla./Clearwater Central Catholic) and Kevin Quinn (Barrington, R.I./Barrington) lend additional experience for Massachusetts Maritime along with juniors Chris Flynn (Orange, Conn./Amity Regional), Michael Rourke (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham) and Tom Turner (Westmoreland, N.H./Woodinville) as well as sophomores Rich Aylward (Hanover, Mass./Thayer Academy) and Robert Gratzer (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke). Freshmen Cody Carneiro (Wrentham, Mass./King Philip), Tim Lawler (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport), Zachary Poh (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) and Danielle Soar (Templeton, Mass./Narragansett Regional) will also look to make their marks as rookies this spring.
JUMPS/HURDLES. As Sullo eyes newer heights in his final season of competition, junior Laura Spalt (Harwichport, Mass./Harwich) returns after posting impressive performances in several hurdles events in 2011. Barry and Lohse continue to develop additional talent in the jumps and hurdles events that includes Balderelli, Hutchinson and Downs, while Bennett and fellow freshman Sam Hill (Hopkinton, N.H./Hopkinton).
Massachusetts Maritime begins the 2012 season on Saturday, March 24th with competition at the Bridgewater State Invitational beginning at 11:00 a.m. EDT.