Five Individuals Qualify For Division III New Englands As Outdoor Track & Field Enjoys Record Setting Performance At Connecticut College Silfen Invitational
Posted: Apr 21, 2012

Five Individuals Qualify For Division III New Englands As Outdoor Track & Field Enjoys Record Setting Performance At Connecticut College Silfen Invitational

MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

Connecticut College Silfen Invitational

Saturday, April 21, 2012

New London, Conn.

NEW LONDON, Conn. --  The Massachusetts Maritime outdoor track & field team tuned up for next weekend’s MASCAC Championships with solid performances at the Connecticut College Silfen Invitational on Saturday afternoon, as the Buccaneer men placed fifth of 12 teams while the Buccaneer women’s finished 11th of 13 teams in the competition.  Eight school records (four individual, four relay) fell on the day, as five individuals and four relay squads also qualified for the upcoming Division III New England Championships.

Senior James Hutchinson (Pembroke, Mass.) set a school record in the javelin with a second place performance of 54.14 meters that also qualified him for Division III New Englands, while freshman Tyler Brady (Woburn, Mass.) added a second place finish in the 10,000 meters (36:10.88).  Freshman E.J. Bennett (East Wareham, Mass.) and senior Chris Sullo (Canton, Mass.) both qualified for Division III New Englands with a second and third place finishes in the high jump (1.88 meters), while freshman Sam Hill (Hopkinton, N.H.) set a school record in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 58.71 while adding a ninth place finish in the 110 meter hurdles (17.89). 

Freshman Zachary Poh (Bridgewater, Mass.) qualified for Division III New Englands in the discus with a fourth place mark of 41.65 meters while adding a fifth place finish in the shot put (12.56 meters), while junior Evan Balderelli (Brimfield, Mass.) added a sixth place performance in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles (59.39) and a 10th place finish in the 110 meter hurdles (18.38).  Junior Chris Flynn (Orange, Conn.), senior Chris Dintino (Mashpee, Mass.) and sophomore Robert Gratzer (Pembroke, Mass.) finished sixth, seventh and 10th, with respective marks of 40.06, 38.36 and 35.02 meters in the hammer throw, as Flynn added a ninth place finish in the discus (35.41 meters).  Freshman Tim Lawler (Newburyport, Mass.) placed seventh in the javelin (45.48 meters), while senior Joe Choiniere (Mansfield, Mass.) finished eighth in the 200 meters (23.46).

All three Buccaneer men’s relays teams set school records and qualified for Division III New Englands on the day, as the 4 X 100 meter tandem of Hill, Bennett, Choiniere and junior Laurence Tagger (Bourne, Mass.) posted a fourth place time of 44.33.  The 4 X 400 tandem of Hill, Bennett, Balderelli and freshman Godfred Mbengam (Randolph, Mass.) placed third with a time of 3:33.38, while the 4 X 800 relay tandem of sophomore Steven Migridichian (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and freshmen Christian Collins (Brimfield, Mass.), Mark Baker (Charlestown, R.I.) and Brenton Andrews (Hubbardston, Mass.) posted a sixth place time of 9:02.53.  Massachusetts Maritime amassed a team score of 74 points, as UMass Dartmouth took top honors with 175 points to best runner-up Coast Guard’s total of 156 points.

On the women’s side, sophomore Liz Leonardi (Sandwich, Mass.) broke her own school record with a sixth place finish in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (13:49.55), while junior Laura Spalt (Harwichport, Mass.) and senior Stephanie Lee (Acton, Mass.) posted respective seventh and ninth place finishes in the 100 meter hurdles with times of 18:50 and 18.82.  Freshman Danielle Soar (Templeton, Mass.) placed ninth in the javelin (24.64), while freshman Mariah McGrath (Mansfield, Mass.) set a school record with a 10th place finish in the 200 meters (29.14).  The tandem of Spalt, Soar, Lee and McGrath combined to set a school record and qualify for Division III New Englands in the 4 X 100 meter relay with a seventh place finish of 58.64 seconds.  UMass Dartmouth also took top honors in the final women’s team standings with 121 points, while host Connecticut College finished second with117.33 points.

Massachusetts Maritime travels to Westfield, Mass. next Saturday morning to compete in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference and New England Alliance Championships that will be hosted at Westfield State’s Jerry Gravel Track beginning at 11:00 a.m.