INJURIES AND ILLNESS OVERSHADOW SECOND PLACE FINISH

February 20, 2010

What a difference a year makes. Last year, with barely enough women to field a team, injuries and illness were non-existent entering the championships and MIT came through to win their first New England Division III Championship, the first of three in a row (outdoor, cross country). This year, with a larger squad and looking like clear favorites a few weeks ago, bizarre injuries started appearing to three of the team's strongest performers; Amy Magnuson '10, Jacqui Wentz '10 and Anna Holt-Gosselin '11, (accounting for 48 points in last year's championship), and with just two days to go before this year's championship, three key competitors came down with fevers for MIT, potentially losing another 20 plus points.

All of this served to lower the competitive morale of the women's team, taking away that energy needed for the level of performance that makes the difference between first and second place. Nevertheless, enough of the talent was able to break through and propel MIT to second place in this year's New England Division III Championship with 90 points. A much improved Williams College team took championship honors with 158 points and Tufts University was third out of 25 scoring teams with 73 points.

Hazel Briner '11, got things started with the pentathlon on Friday night. Entering as the defending champion and top seed, she did not disappoint. Starting with a personal best of 8.73 in the 55HH, Briner proceeded to jump 5-0 1/4 in the high jump, throw 35-8 in the shot put and leap 15-11 1/2 in the long jump. She needed a 2:21 in the 800 to make the automatic NCAA qualifier, but went out too hard, clocking a 15 second first 100. However she hammered the last 200 to come pretty close, running 2:22.89 to score a new MIT record of 3379 points and win the event by over 200 points.

Day two saw a freshman and varsity record in the mile by Brooke Johnson '13, and a varsity record in the 4x200 by Portia Jones '12, Jamie Simmons '12, Margaret Leibovic '10, and Martha Gross '12. Johnson, despite splitting 70 seconds for the first 400 and 2:25 for the 800, held on to earn third place in 4:57.75, a mark that should get her into the NCAA Division III Championship. In the 4x200, meet management decided against laying out a three turn stagger, not understanding that with a two turn stagger the extra distance traveled by the outside lanes leading to a pending handoff would be up to a two foot disadvantage for lane six. Leading off with Jones so the team could break free of the clutter of handoffs, and starting in lane six, Jones got out well, splitting 25.9 and accomplishing the goal of handing off in first. Simmons was next and she held the lead, handing off to Leibovic. Springfield College's speed literally caught up to MIT on the third leg, making it even up with just the anchors to go. Springfield anchored with the second place finisher in the open 200, and while Gross ran her heart out with a 25.5 split, it was not quite enough. However, MIT's time of 1:45.32 was good enough for second and a new MIT record.

The only victories for MIT on day two came from Jones in the 55HH and Simmons in the 600. Jones had to persevere through three rounds of hurdles, running the trials at 11:45, the semis at 12:30, the 4x200 at 2:00, the 55HH final at 2:35 and then the 400 at 2:45. Jones ran 8.64, 8.38 and then 8.34 to earn the victory with her second fastest time ever in the event. Simmons went out incredibly fast, splitting 29 in the first 200, but was boxed in for most of the first lap. Feeling the fatigue from having to run in the middle of the second lane to get around everyone, it looked as though she was not going to be able to get past everyone, but with 150 meters to go she took off to win with a personal best of 1:37.01.

Other than the 4x200, others gaining runner-up honors were Karin Fisher '11, in the pole vault and Jones in the 400. Fisher cleared 11-5 3/4, just missing at 12-01 1/2. Briner, coming back from her pentathlon, while trying to keep control of a mild fever, managed to also vault 11-5 3/4 to place fourth. Lynn Jepsen cleared a best of 10-6 to earn eighth. Jones got out well in the 400, splitting 26, but finished well behind Higgs of Williams, who was fresh going into the event.

It is quite a testament to the talent level of this team to be down nearly 70 points and still finish in second place. For the MIT women, the goal now is to get ready for the NCAA Championships. Currently solid qualifiers are Briner in the pole vault and the pentathlon, Jones in the 400 and 55HH, Johnson in the mile, the 4x400 team of Simmons, Gross, Briner and Jones, and the distance medley relay team of Johnson, Jones, Simmons and Alina Gatowski '11. Getting Fisher in the pole vault, Tania Morimoto '12, and Gatowski in the 5000 and Simmons and Gross in the 400 would give the Engineers a good chance at placing among the top teams in three weeks. MIT will be back at Boston University this coming Friday and Saturday for the NEICAAA Championship.

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