Sullo, Hutchinson And Poh Record Second Place Performances For Outdoor Track & Field At 2012 MASCAC Championships
2012 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Hosted By Westfield State University
Jerry Gravel Track, Westfield, Massachusetts
FINAL TEAM SCORES
Bridgewater State 190.50
Westfield State 175.50
Worcester State 146
Fitchburg State 58
Massachusetts Maritime 44
WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University captured its first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Track & Field championship in 16 years Saturday afternoon, as the Bears topped runner-up and defending champion Westfield State University by 15 points in the 2012 league championships that took place at Westfield State’s Jerry Gravel Track.
Bridgewater State received six individual titles in claiming its second conference crown in school history (the last coming in 1996), as the Bears recorded a team score of 190.50 points to outdistance Westfield State’s total of 175.50. Worcester State University finished third with a team score of 146 points, while Fitchburg State University (58 points) and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (44 points) rounded out the scoring in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Juniors David Phipps (Attleboro, Mass.), Stephen Wahome (Lowell, Mass.) and Michael McPherson (Mansfield, Mass.) copped individual crowns in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:51.34), 5,000 meters (15:30.49) and shot put (15.46 meters) for Bridgewater State, which also received respective individual titles from sophomores Matt Horan (Billerica, Mass.), Andy Sukeforth (Middleboro, Mass.) and Joshua Danner-Hicks (Haverhill, Mass.) in the 110 meter hurdles (15.62), 1,500 meters (3:59.10) and the triple jump (13.87 meters).
Westfield State, which had won 14 of the last 15 MASCAC crowns, received five individual championship performances on the day, including junior Tom Gauger’s (Billerica, Mass.) record-breaking mark in the pole vault of 4.65 meters. Junior Brendan Corcoran (Walpole, Mass.) was the lone double-event winner on the day, as he captured titles in the 400 meters (48.87) and 800 meters (1:53.94) for the Owls, while junior Justin Ehrhardt (Stoneham, Mass.) and sophomore Zack Madera (Southwick, Mass.) were victorious in the discus (44.06 meters) and 100 meters (11.02), respectively.
Worcester State also recorded five individual conference titles in competition, as junior Jon Parrella (Wilmington, Mass.) led the way in the 400 meter hurdles (55.67) for the Lancers, who also received crowns from sophomores Matthew Begley (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and Andrew Johnson (Thompson, Conn.) in the javelin (56.13 meters) and high jump (1.90 meters) as well as freshmen Terrence Gibson (Rockland, Mass.) and Duy Truong (Worcester, Mass.) in the 200 meters (22.02) and long jump (6.60 meters). Worcester State also copped MASCAC titles in both the 4 X 100 (42.31) and 4 X 400 (3:23.24) relays on the day.
Fitchburg State senior Chris Kibler (Bath, Maine) set the other conference record of the day in the 10,000 meters (31:20.89), breaking the previous mark of Boston State’s Jim Stronach (31:46.3) that had stood since 1978. Junior Zach Desrochers (Dracut, Mass.) claimed the final individual title of the day for the Falcons in the hammer throw (53.36 meters).
UMass Dartmouth captured its first-ever New England Alliance Championship in competition between member institutions from both the MASCAC and the Little East Conference, as the Corsairs posted a team score of 109 points to outdistance runner-up Bridgewater State (105.50) and Westfield State (104).
Massachusetts Maritime received a trio of second place finishes on the day, as senior Chris Sullo (Canton, Mass.) narrowly missed claiming his third straight conference title in the high jump, as he posted a mark of 1.90 meters but lost in a jump-off to Worcester State’ Johnson. Fellow senior James Hutchinson (Pembroke, Mass.) also recorded a second place performance in the javelin (51.37 meters), while freshman Tim Lawler (Newburyport, Mass.) followed in fifth place with a mark of 50.54 meters).
Freshman Zachary Poh (Bridgewater, Mass.) qualified for the ECAC Championships with a second place finish in the discus (43.86 meters) while adding a fifth place mark in the shot put (13.71 meters) that qualified for the Division III New England Championships. Sophomore Robert Gratzer (Pembroke, Mass.) finished fifth in the discus (41.88 meters) for the Buccaneers, who also received a sixth place school record performance in the 200 meters (23.01) from senior Joseph Choiniere (Mansfield, Mass.) as well as sixth place finishes in the 400 meters (52.65) from freshman Godfred Mbengam (Randolph, Mass.) and in the 400 meter hurdles from junior Evan Balderelli (Brimfield, Mass.). The Bucs’ 4 X 400 meter relay also recorded a fourth place finish (3:34.19) to round out the scoring.
Massachusetts Maritime will compete in next weekend’s Division III New England Championships before individual competition takes place at the ECAC Outdoor Championships in two weeks at Rensselaer.