Riverdale, N.Y.- Monmouth University's track & field team wrapped up its second weekend of competition with a pair of meets in NYC, traveling to the Fordham Christmas Classic on Friday and to Manhattan College on Saturday night.
In Friday's Fordham Christmas Classic, junior Aracelis Lantigua (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) won the 800m, leading wire to wire and crossing the line with a time of 2:26.20. A trio of freshmen in Vin Improta (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech), David Balzer (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph's) and Ryan Lundy (Laurence Harbor, N.J./Mater Dei) took third, sixth and seventh in the 1000m. The same three teamed up with sophomore Michael Slater (Belford, N.J./CBA) in the 4x400, crossing the tape in fifth place.
At the Jasper Invitational on Saturday night, the Hawks brought home a trio of first place finishes paced by the men's and women's triple jumpers. Sophomore Marykate Walsh's (Woodbury, N.J./Woodbury) leap of 17' 2 3/4" was the top mark of the meet, while junior Alex Bowers' (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional) distance of 22' 2 1/4" won the event on the men's side. Walsh also tallied a second place finish in the triple jump with her distance of 36' 4 1/4" meters.
As usual, the Hawk throwers put forth some elite marks, led by Vincent Elardo's (Forked River, N.J./Lacey) winning shot put toss of 52' 7 1/4". Sophomore Tom Ciccoli (King of Prussia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll), competing in his first meet of the year, was second with his IC4A qualifying mark of 52' 6" while Larry Lundy (Friendsville, Pa./Montrose Area) threw 52' 2 3/4" for third place. Sophomore Jeremy Gordet (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) threw a personal best of 45' 6 1/4", which ended him in sixth place.
The women had three athletes in the finals of the shot put, including Laura Ankrom (Prospect, Pa./Butler), Symmone Fisher (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) and Jessica Torrito (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown). Fisher's mark of 35' 3 1/4" was third in the event with fellow Hawks Torrito (35' 1/2") taking fourth and Ankrom sixth. Ankrom also registered a fifth place mark in the weight throw, complimented by freshman Samantha Heggman's (Mineola, N.Y./Mineola) sixth place finish.
Junior Larry Lundy (Friendsville, Pa./Montrose Area) earned fifth place in the weight throw (54' 10 1/4") with teammates Elardo (6th) and Shawn Sabo (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) (8th) also placing in the event.
The Hawks had three women finish in the top five of the pentathlon including Walsh, Jenn Tarsan (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) and Kelly Dantley (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny). Dantley was the Hawks highest finisher, placing third with 3,065 points, while Walsh finished fourth with 3,044 points and Tarsan's 2,655 points was fifth. Senior Christine Fatale (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial) tallied a third place finish in the pole vault, clearing 10'.
The weekend marked the last meet for the Hawks until January 9th, when they will compete at the University of Delaware Invitational.
