WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University men's and women's track and field teams opened up its indoor season with a clean sweep, defeating NJIT and Wagner in the 2nd Annual MAC Classic, on Saturday. The Hawks men squad overpowered Wagner, 110-9 and topped NJIT 105-17 while the women defeated Wagner, 77.5-41.5 and NJIT, 98-12. Both squads combined to set nine school records on the day.
"For our first meet the team did a very good job," said head coach Joe Compagni. "We now know we need to get a lot stronger from here but it was a tremendous start."
Junior Vincent Elardo (Forked River, N.J./Lacey) picked up from where he left off last spring, taking first place in the men's shot with a toss of 59'2.25", an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Senior Thomas Ciccoli (King of Prussia, Pa/Archbishop Carroll) placed second with a throw of 53'5" followed by sophomore Shane Carle (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial). Elardo and Ciccoli combined to break the Monmouth record for the shot put relay with a total of 112'7.25" snapping the previous mark of 106'3.5". The duo also finished one-two in the weight throw with throws of 54'10.25" and 51'1.50", respectfully, while sophomore Ryan Snyder (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) posted a fourth place finish with a throw of 43'10.50".
The men's squad of Geoff Navarro (Mays Landing, N.J./Absegami), Robbie Robinson (Skillman, N.J./Montgomery), Jalen Walker (Burlington, N.J./ BCIT/Burlington Township) and Zachary Krupka (Allentown, Pa./Allentown) finished in first place in the 4x55 meter relay with a time of 25.89, which erases the 2007 record of 25.93
Freshman Jordan Subai (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) set the MU freshman record in the men's pole vault with a mark of 15'. Junior Pete Matano (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) finished second registering a vaulting himself 14'7.25. Subai and Matano's combined mark of 29'7.25 is the new school record for the pole vault relay. Jason Timmons (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) recorded a third place finish with a clearance of 13'7".
Freshman Thomas Butler took first in the men's high jump, leaping 6'6". Ed Kramer (Marlton, N.J. /Cherokee), who also registered a 6'6" result, finished second as the two set the new school benchmark for high jump relay at 13'. Sophomore Jake Bartlett (Middletown, N.J./CBA) took third with jump of 6'4".
Sophomore Nick Waltman (Colonia, N.J./JFK Memorial) lead the Hawks in the triple jump with a first place finish, covering 43'4.5", followed by Kramer who posted a mark of 40'2", good for a new relay record of 83'6.5".
Upperclassmen Jason Kelsey (Ramsey, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) and Joshua Lewis (Montville, N.J./Montville Township) led the Hawks in the long jump relay posting marks of 23'6.25 and 21'11.75, good for first and second place, and combing to break the 20 year old record of 45'0.5". Kelsey's mark also qualifies him for the IC4A Championships in March.
Freshman Joe DiBianco (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) finished first in the 300 meter dash with a time of 36.16 while classmates Barbadoro and Michael Hoffman (Holmdel, N.J./Holmdel) finished fourth and sixth with time of 38.06 and 38.48, respectfully.
The relay team of Kevin Mulligan (Colonia, N.J./Union Catholic), Dan Ramirez (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley), Dylan Hankinson (Millstone Township, N.J./Notre Dame) and Seth Robbins (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) crossed the line second in the 4x1600 meter relay in 18:41.48, which establishes a new freshman record.
Freshman classmates Jon Marques (Linden, N.J./St. Joseph) and Bayaan Oluyadi (Union, N.J./Union) finished the 600 meter 1.5 seconds apart with times of 1:23.5 and 1:24.0, both under the freshman record and were the first two colligate finishers across the finish line.
Joe DiBanco won the 300 meter dash finishing in 36.16 and Walker won the 60 meter hurdle posting a time of 8.36. Monmouth also took first in the 4x400 meter relay as Kelsey, Krupka, Navarro and DiBianca finished in 3:27.28.
On the women's side, Sandra Jean-Romain (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) posted a first place finish in the women's shot put, hurling 43'3.25" while junior standout Symmone Fisher (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) registered a 42'9.75" toss. The total of 86'1" is a new MU record erasing the 11 year old relay record of 73'1.75". Freshman Rachel Aliotta (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) finished third in her first collegiate meet, recording a throw of 42'8.25".
Fisher threw her way into first place in the women's weight throw with a toss of 51'6.25" followed by classmate Jessica Toritto (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) who finished third, posting a mark of 45'10.75", which is good for a new relay record of 96'5". Newcommer Qiyana Hill (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) launched 45'10.5" in her first meet for the Blue and White.
Sophomores Alison Day (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin) and Rachel Watkins (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) combined to set the new MU record in the high jump relay, each posting a mark of 5'4.25", which totals 10'8.5".
Erin Szulewski (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown), Stacey Lepes (Branchville, N.J./High Point Regional), Amanda Eller (Delmont, N.J./Millville), and Christine Altland (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan), crossed the finish line in first place in the 4x1600 meter relay in 21:36.92, which is second in school history.
The 4x55 relay team of Megan Patrick (Jamison, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie), Mercedes Yanora (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Holy Redeemer Wilkes-Barre), Ashley Cuvilly (Uniondale, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) and Ajda Dotday (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) recorded a time of 29.39, which places the foursome second all time in program history.
Freshman Mercedes Yanora (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Holy Redeemer Wilkes-Barre) crossed the finish line first in the women's 300 meter dash posting a time of 42.27, a new freshman record.
Danielle Toritto (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) and Colleen Rutecki (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) finished one-two in the 600 meter run, posting times of 1:40.17 and 1:40.24, respectfully.
Junior Lindsey Walsh (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) registered a first place finish in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 9.46. Sophomore Rachel Watkins (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) finished in 9.54 while classmate Gabrielle Ciampoli (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional) returned from injury with a fourth place finish in 9.60. Walsh also finished third in the long jump with a mark of 17'4".
Freshman Erin Clark (Eastampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) finished third in the triple jump registering a mark of 33'7.25" while senior Heleen Riggs returned from a season ending injury a year ago, vaulted herself to a second place finish in the pole vault.
Larry Schau and Malia Lyles, both 2007 graduates, finished first in the men's and women's alumni mile, with times of 5:07.0 and 5:36.81, respectfully.
Both men's and women's return to action on Saturday, December 11th, as they travel to Princeton, N.J. for the Princeton Invitational, starting at 11 a.m.