BRONX, N.Y. - The Monmouth University men's and women's indoor track and field teams earns several ECAC/IC4A qualifying marks as they began 2011 competing at the Metro Coaches Invitational at the Armory Track and Field Center Friday afternoon.
"It was a good start for our first week back after the holiday break," said head coach Joe Compagni. "We still know we need to get better every week."
The 4x800 team of sophomore Emily MacEwen (South Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) , graduate student Christina Nelson (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank [Maryland]), sophomore Danielle Toritto (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) and sophomore Amanda Eller (Delmont, N.J./Millville) finished first with a time of 9:23.83, an ECAC qualifying mark, and the third best time in school history.
After posting a time of 7.91 in the preliminary race, sophomore Lachelle Wallace (Herndon, Va./South Lakes) finished sixth overall in the 60 meter dash, registering a time of 7.86 in the finals. Freshman Mercedes Yanora (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Holy Redeemer Wilkes-Barre) crossed the finish line 10th overall, crossing the finish line in 8.07. Yanora also ran 26.40, to take seventh, in the 200 meter dash.
Sophomore Rachel Watkins (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) and junior Ajda Dotday (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) finished fourth and ninth, respectively, with times of 58.82 and 1:00.60 in the 400 meter dash.
Colleen Rutecki (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) finished ninth in the 500 meter dash as the junior registered a time of 1:19.57.
Freshman Lucia Montefusco (Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur) recorded a third place finish in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:23.04.
Senior classmates Christine Altland (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) and Courtney Spratford (Califon, N.J./Vorhees) finished the 3000 meter run in seventh and ninth place with times of 10:55.84 and 10:59.47 respectively.
Junior Lindsey Walsh (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) paced three Hawks in the 60 meter hurdles, finishing third in the preliminaries with a time of 9.27. Watkins finished .03 seconds later in fourth place, while sophomore Gabrielle Ciampoli (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional) finished seventh, recording a time of 9.49.
Montefusco, freshman Megan Patrick (Jamison, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie), sophomore Stacey Lepes (Branchville, N.J./High Point Regional) and sophomore Kelsey Maher (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) lead the Hawks to a second place finish in the distance medley, posting a time of 13:02.25.
Watkins cleared 5' 5" in the high jump for a second place finish. Sophomore Alison Day (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin) finished fifth with jump of 5' 3" while Walsh recorded a jump of 5' 1", good for sixth place. Walsh also recorded a seventh place finish in the long jump with a mark of 16' 8.5".
Sophomore Sandra Jean-Romain (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) launched herself to a second place in the shot put, recording a mark of 42' 5.25" while freshman Rachel Aliotta (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) threw 41' 1.5", good for fourth place.
Symmone Fisher (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) registered a second place finish in the weight throw as the junior posted a toss of 52' 6" while freshman Tilah Young (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) recorded a throw of 42' 11.25", good for ninth overall.
For the men's squad, two-time Northeast Conference Field Athlete of the Week Vincent Elardo (Forked River, N.J./Lacey) continued his stellar performance as the senior took first place in the shot put and weight throw with marks of 57' 11.25" and 58' 3.25".
Sophomore Shane Carle (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) finished fourth in the shot put with a throw of 51' 2.75" while senior Tom Ciccoli (King of Prussia, Pa (Archbishop Carroll) finished fifth with a throw of 46' 11.75". Ciccoli also took eighth in the weight throw with a toss 49' 2.5".
Tommy Butler (Union Bridge, Md./Francis Scott Key) set a new Monmouth freshman record in the high jump, leaping 6' 9.5", an IC4A qualifying mark and second place overall, while classmate Ed Kramer (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) finished fifth, clearing 6' 5.5".
Junior Pete Matano (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) lead the way for the Blue and White in the pole vault with a third place finish with a mark of 14' 9" while classmates Brandon Cabral (Farmingdale, N.J./Colts Neck) and Jason Timmons (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) finished in a fifth place tie with a mark of 14' 3.25".
Junior Josh Lewis (Montville, N.J./Montville Township) finished fourth in the long jump with a mark of 23' and Josh Mann (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) took sixth in the triple jump as the sophomore registered a jump of 43' 0.25"
Newcomer Jalen Walker (Burlington, N.J./BCIT/Burlington Township) took eighth in the 60 meter hurdles crossing the finish line in 8.44.
The relay team of senior Zach Krupka (Allentown, Pa./Allentown), freshmen Bayaan Oluyadi (Union, N.J./Union), Jon Marques (Linden, N.J./St. Joseph) and senior Jason Kelsey (Ramsey, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) crossed the finish line in 3:20.18 in the 4x400 meter relay. Krupka finished 12th overall in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.95.
In the mile, senior Ben Hutterer (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch) and freshman Seth Robbins (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) finished .54 seconds apart with times of 4:27:26 and 4:27:80, good for seventh and ninth place, respectively.
Kelsey and junior Geoff Navarro (Mays Landing, N.J./Absegami) finished sixth and seventh in the 400 meter dash with times of 50.28 and 50.46.
Monmouth returns home this Thursday, January 13th, as they host Rider in a dual meet beginning with field events at 3 p.m. and track events at 5:45 p.m. at the MAC.
