West Long Branch, NJ – The Monmouth men's and women's track & field teams won their first meet of the 2017-2018 season at home in the OceanFirst Bank Center Classic. Both the men and the women topped teams from Wagner and Montclair State. Senior Dylan Capwell highlighted his return to the track by breaking a facility record. Senior Domoah Kutu-Akoi finished as the top collegian athlete in three events.
 
NOTES & QUOTES
-The Monmouth men won the event with 213 points and were followed by Wagner in second with 56 points and Montclair State in third with 20.
-The Monmouth women won the event by totaling 199 points, while Wagner and Montclair State finished with 52 and 39 points for second and third respectively.
-Monmouth's men have been undefeated for all nine years of competition on their home indoor track at the OceanFirst Bank Center.
-Monmouth's women have lost just once in nine years of competition on their home indoor track at the OceanFirst Bank Center.
-The pole vault, weight throw, and high jump events were contested on Friday night with the other events took place on Saturday
-Capwell ran in his first indoor race in two seasons
-Capwell ran to two wins and one facility record breaking performances (1000 meters).
-After the meet, the Hawks honored 20 athletes who were new school record holders from 2017, as well as more than 30 alumni who are still school record holders in their events.
-"Our team has put in some very good work this fall and that showed in a lot of areas today. We know we have a huge amount of work to do to get where we want to be later in the season, but today was a strong start."
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth took the top five spots in the women's weight throw with senior Kennisha Okereke (17.93m – 57'0.75") and sophomore Jordan Wildermuth (16.96m – 55'7.75") finished first and second. Their marks also qualified them for the ECAC Division I Championships.
-Wildermuth also won the shot put and qualified for the ECACs with a throw of 14.44 meters (47'4.5").
-Capwell's 1000-meter run (2:24.52) qualified him for the IC4A's and broke the facility record of 2:27.14 which he set here in 2014. His time is also #4 in school history.
-Senior Tim Wilson won the men's weight throw with a toss of 19.43 meters (63'9"), which qualified him for the IC4A's.
-Monmouth had the top five collegian finishers in the men's shot put. Junior Corey Murphy (17.46m – 57'3.5"), sophomores Brandon Davis (16.58m – 54'4.75") and Dan Gilligan (16.26m – 53'4.25"), junior Andrew Tummino (16.05m – 52'8"), freshman Andrew Huisman (14.20m – 46'7.25"), and Wilson (13.55m – 44'5.5") led the Hawks.
-Murphy, Davis, Gilligan and Tummino all qualified for IC4As in the shot put.
-Kutu-Akoi won both the 60 meter (7.70) and the 200 meter (26.05) dashes as well as finishing as the top collegian in the long jump (5.49m – 18'0.25"). Her time in the 60 meters was good enough to qualify for the ECAC championships.
-Sophomore Mariah Hubbard finished as the top collegian in the high jump followed by freshman Samantha Fellowes and junior Natalie Negroni.
-Junior Ashley McKinnon won the triple jump with an 11.61m (38'1.25") effort, with Hubbard just behind her in second at 11.56 (37'11.25").
-Bryan Sosoo won the 60-meter dash (6.87), which qualified him for the IC4A's. Freshman Miguerson Joseph finished as the third best collegian in his first collegiate race.
-The Hawks had the top three finishers in the men's triple jump as junior Michael Pepper (14.68m – 48'2") won the event and qualified for the IC4A's. Sosoo (14.20m – 46'7.25") and junior Darius Howe (13.94m – 45'9") finished second and third.
-Pepper was the top collegian in the long jump as well, with fellow junior Greg Stickle just behind him.
-Stickle and senior Malcolm Chavis went 1-2 in the 500 in 1:05.74 and 1:06.19.
-Freshmen Molly Furlong (3:14.98) and Kerri Powers (3:19.36) finished first and second in the women's 1000-meters in their first race as college athletes.
-Juniors Brianna Stratz (5:05.89) and Chandi Piiru (5:21.55) took first and second in the mile run
-Freshman Tim Jacoutot won his first college race in the 60 Hurdles in 8.72 seconds, then came back to win the 300-meter dash finishing in 36.62 seconds. Teammate Tim Van Cauwenberge was second in the hurdles, with Matt Shober and Jack Grace finished in second and third in the 300.
-Sophomore Naomi Miranda won the 300-meter dash in 41.69 seconds. Her time is 7^th in school history in the event.
-Sophomore Viviane Orleans (9.04) and junior Dana Lynch (9.26) finished in first and second in the 60 meter hurdles.
-Monmouth took the top three spots in the men's pole vault with senior Dean McDonald finishing first (4.40m – 14'5.25"), junior Matthew Isaacson placing second (4.10m – 13'5.25"), and sophomore Nicholas Vail-Stein finishing third (3.95m – 12'11.5").
-The women's 4x400 team of Orleans, Stratz, Piiru and sophomore Mackenzie Todd ran 4:02.60 to give the Hawks' women the win in 13 of 14 events in the meet.
-The men's 4x400 team of Joseph, Jacoutot, Capwell and Stickle finished in 3:22.04, giving the Hawks their 11^th win in the 14 events in the meet.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks will compete in the Wagner Seahawk Shootout on Friday in Staten Island, NY starting at 2:00 PM, as well as the Princeton New Year Invitational next Saturday starting at 10:30 AM.