Outdoor Track & Field Looks To Continue Conference, Regional Success Under Lohse's Watch This Spring

Outdoor Track & Field Looks To Continue Conference, Regional Success Under Lohse's Watch This Spring

The Massachusetts Maritime outdoor track & field program has continued to make great strides under the guidance of veteran Head Coach Cathy Lohse, and the Buccaneers are looking to reach even greater heights of success at the conference and regional levels heading into the 2016 campaign.

 

Leadership has played a key role in the program’s development over the past decade, and Lohse will look to seniors Bryce MacAndrew (Warwick, R.I.) and Peter Schultz (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional), along with juniors Tyler Aldrich (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee), Emma Ethier (Norton, Mass./Norton) and Luke Kurelja (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) to provide that positive example as Massachusetts Maritime’s co-captains this spring.  Lohse says the quintet “sets the bar high for their teammates in the classroom and in the community.  They know the demands and expectations of our program are high, and they have continually met and exceeded those expectations throughout their careers.  I know they will set an example for everyone who is a part of our program to emulate.”

 

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2016 edition of Buccaneer Outdoor Track & Field:

 

THROWS.  MacAndrew and junior Meaghan Brain (Hanson, Mass./Whitman-Hanson) are the most experienced throwers for Massachusetts Maritime, as Brain qualified for the New England Division III championships as a freshman and holds the school record in the javelin.  Seniors Chris Bisio (Atlanta, Ga./St. Francis) and Judson Yerkes (West Barnstable, Mass./Blue Ridge School), along with sophomores Mitch Conroy (Brooklyn, Conn./Killingly) and John Kelly (Sanbornton, N.H./Bishop Brady), provide additional experienced for Lohse, while freshmen Bryan Connors (Hanover, Mass./Hanover), Sean Kenny (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South) and Chris Winbourne (Wrentham, Mass./King Philip) will also look to impact the Buccaneers’ throwing fortunes as newcomers this spring.

 

SPRINTS.  Schultz and Kurelja lead a veteran group of sprinters returning for Massachusetts Maritime this fall, while sophomores Joseph Carey (Pembroke, Mass./Xaverian), Ian Chester (Rockland, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) and Joe Eastman (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) are also back to lend experience for the Buccaneers.  Sophomore Scott Ledoux (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham), along with freshmen Conor Duffy (Somerset, Mass./Somerset-Berkley), Cal Garufo (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop) and Cole Kugler (Woodstown, N.J./Woodstown), are vying for spots in Lohse’s sprinting corps as rookie this season.

 

DISTANCE.  Sophomore Chris MacKay (Bethany, Conn./Amity Regional) returns to the fold after setting the school record in the 3,000 meters as a rookie in 2015, while Aldrich and fellow junior Adam Gauvin (Greenville, R.I./Mount Saint Charles) provide additional experience in the distance events for Massachusetts Maritime.  The Buccaneers will also look for solid performances from a quintet of newcomers in freshmen Nathaniel Decker (Bellbrook, Ohio/Bedford), Kevin Donato (North Andover, Mass./North Andover), Peter Lowry (Mount Pleasant, S.C./Wando), Zach Podedworny (Webster, Mass./Bartlett) and Carl Thompson (Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock Regional) in distance competition.

 

HURDLES/JUMPS.  Ethier, a versatile performer over the last two seasons for Lohse, heads a talented unit of hurdlers and jumpers, as she set school records in both the 100 and 400 high hurdles last spring.  Chester, Carey, Ledoux and Ledoux will also compete in hurdling events for Massachusetts Maritime, while Schultz and Eastman are Lohse’s primary participants in jumping events.

 

SCHEDULE.  A five event regular season slate awaits the Buccaneers in 2016, as Lohse’s squad will travel to Bridgewater State, UMass Dartmouth, Connecticut College, Eastern Connecticut and Tufts before the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference/New England Alliance Championships on April 30th, which will also take place at UMass Dartmouth.

 

Massachusetts Maritime begins the new campaign on Saturday, March 26th by heading to Bridgewater, Mass. to participate in the Bridgewater State Bears Invitational that begins at 10:00 a.m. EDT.