NATIONAL PERFORMANCES AND PERSONAL BESTS LEAD WAY IN TERRIER CLASSIC

January 28, 2012

The two day Terrier Classic Indoor Track and Field Meet at Boston University's banked track was highlighted by NCAA marks and personal bests by both women and men. The women competed on day 1 while the men were slotted to day 2 as just a few of the 2800 plus entries.

Portia Jones '12 and her teammates started things off on a very positive note with some incredible times in the 400 Meter race. Jones split 26.0 to finish in 56.10, the fastest time in the country for Division III so far in 2012. Jamie Simmons '12 ran 57.01, a time that is likely to get her into Nationals. Jackie Brew '14 ran her first indoor 400 ever and did an excellent job, running 58.91. Maddie Bairey '15 improved by over three seconds from her previous indoor best, clocking 59.77.

The same quartet returned in the 200 and lit up the track again. Jones again led the way with a 24.95. Brew bested Simmons this time, running 25.89. Simmons toured the track in 26.36 while Bairey clocked a PR of 26.48.

Cindy Huang '15, running the 800, was a little enthusiastic, taking the lead with a 31 second first 200. Stephanie Marzen '15 was in the same section and came through in 32 even though she was in last place. Both paid for the quick early pace, slowing to 2:21.39 and 2:21.86 respectively, although both were season and indoor bests.

Louise van den Heuvel '14 ran a superb double. First she tackled the Mile Run, setting a seven second PR by running an even split 5:00.42. She came back in the 1000, and even though she really never got into the race, she still ran a PR of 3:01.34. Teammates Alexandra Taylor '14 and Margaret Coad '15 ran 3:03.02 and 3:03.71 respectively to both set PRs and move into MIT's top ten list.

In the Pole Vault, Lauren Kuntz '13 vaulted a season best 11-09 3/4 to remain in sixth on the NCAA list. Joanna Chen '15 and Marissa Stephens '15 both cleared 10-6, which was a season best for Stephens.

The 4x400 had high hopes after such spectacular open 400's, but Bairey had to pull out due to a hip flexor soreness. Huang was able to substitute, so the team went for it. Simmons led off with a solid 57.9 after going out terribly slow for the opening 200 in 28.6. Brew took the lead at the break and went out in 26.8 to continue in the lead. However in the second lap she slowed dramatically, splitting 60.7. Huang opened with a 29.1, but could not close, finishing in 63.1. Jones also started off quickly, running the first 200 in 25.9 as she moved MIT back into fourth place, which she held but dropped velocity to finish in 58.0. The team ran 3:59.74, a season best, but far from what they are capable of.

In the distance events, Martina de Geus '14, opened things up with a 3K. Her first 1600 was an outstanding 5:26, but the first three quarters of 80 seconds each took a toll. Her pace slowed to a dismal 10:32.83 final time. In the 5K, Elaine McVay '15 was in the second section. Even though she was the last seed in that section, she was undeterred. For the first mile McVay clicked off 82 second 400's although she threw in one 80 but ran very nervously, accelerating anytime there was the smallest opening. After the 5:26 first mile, she slowed a bit from wasting all the energy in the first mile, but still clocked a 5:36. Staying competitive, McVay ran 5:39 for the third mile and finished with a 40 final 200 to set a new freshman record for MIT in 17:21.42. Dacie Manion '15, Tania Morimoto '12 and Claire O'Connell '14 were all in the third section of the 5K. Manion managed to get up front with the leaders and stuck with them through a relatively quick 5:37 first mile. O'Connell was running in bursts, panicking because she likes to be up front and with the fact that her shoe was loose. She would split 5:41 and 5:53 for the first two miles. Morimoto was in a groove, splitting 5:43 and 5:40 for the first two miles. In the final mile, Manion stayed tough with a 5:59 and a 40 second final 200 to run 18:02.98. Morimoto fell back a little in the final half mile, clocking 18:12.77. O'Connell, despite wasting so much energy in the first mile, still raced to a 18:19.65.

Day two was the men's day. Allen Leung '15 started things off in the 5K, running in the top unseeded section. The pace was quick, but Leung was up to the task as they came through the first mile in 4:47 and the second mile in 4:51. The pace picked up and Leung still was hanging tough. Having a little too much left after hitting the three mile mark in 14:26 for a 4:48 mile, he kicked in a 32 second final 200 for a 14:58.00 personal best. In the final event of the day, the seeded 5000, Dan Harper '12 took to the track hoping to race well and perhaps run outside of his comfort zone. He may not have totally succeeded, but he made large strides towards achieving that goal. Coming through the first two miles in splits of 4:45 and 4:47, Harper was relaxed and making the right moves to slide up in the pack. However, in the final mile, his determination seemed to falter a bit. He pretty much maintained his pace, running a 4:45 third mile, but he did not react well to surges by the leaders. His final 33 second 200 brought him a personal best of 14:50.81.

In the 3K, Benjie Xie '15 was going for the freshman record, and was on pace with 800 to go, but faded to 70 second pace, finishing out of gas, but still running a very respectable 8:42.03. Stephen Serene '12, was out of the race until the final 200, but closed with a 31 final 200 to run 8:40.02. Ben Mattocks '12, in a different section, was following along well, but not really racing or responding to moves. He nevertheless finished strong to run 8:48.05.

In the dash and hurdle trials, neither Josh Duncavage '13 nor Michael DuPlessis '14 started well and both struggled to catch up. Duncavage ran 8.93 for the 60HH and DuPlessis ran 7.16 in the 60 Meter Dash.

Nathan Peterson '12 cleared 15-5 in the Pole Vault and was over 16' all three times, hitting the bar on the way down. The only other field event performer for MIT was CK Umachi '12. Umachi did not perform his best, throwing 60-4 in the Weight Throw and a dismal 36-6 1/4 in the Shot Put.

The 400 delivered three season bests for MIT. Tyler Singer-Clark '14 started things off with a well run victory in his section, clocking 50.27. Nick Diamantoni '15 ran to victory in his section with a 50.56. Jake Jurewicz did not race so well but still ran relatively fast in 51.66.

Mac Gager '14 and David Way '13 raced the 500, delivering very strong performance. Both split in the 51's coming through the 400. Gager ran a personal best of 1:06.19 and Way also attained a PR in 1:06.88.

MIT ran seven milers in the Mile Run hoping to find some answers to the Distance Medley Relay in two weeks. While the times were respectable, there was nothing at the sub 4:10 level that is necessary to be a national contender in the DMR. Justin Bullock '14 led the way with a new PR of 4:16.84. Freshman Karl Baranov ran 4:16.94 after two weeks of training, showing a lot of potential. Logan Trimble '13 is starting to find his way back from illness as he finished in 4:22.98. Rick Paez, another freshman, ran 4:24.72. Kyle Hannon '13 continued to have competitive issues as he slowed after the 600 mark and finished with a 4:24.79. Jay McKenna '13 ran a season best of 4:27.56. Eric Safai '14 stopped competing early in the race, finishing at 4:28.45.

Next on the track was the 200. MIT's sprinters did not disappoint as all three set personal indoor bests. Duncavage blasted out of the blocks, kept the pressure on, and won his section in 22.44. Singer-Clark returned from the 400 and showed his ability to come back and run a second event as he ran 22.56. DuPlessis is beginning to round into shape after battling a hip flexor injury. He showed his ability to go up an event, sprinting to a 22.75 PR. Diamantoni showed he can come down an event, although he had an inside lane, which hindered him a little. Still, he ran 23.06, showing he can do better in the 400 as well.

In the 800, there was the much anticipated showdown between veteran 800 runner, Pat Marx '13, and the pair of rookies; Chadd Kiggins '15 and Sam Parker '15. Marx, entered with a faster time was in an earlier section. He got out well in 26.6, but did not stay towards the front and engage the leaders of the race. Instead, he tucked in behind, on the rail, so nearly the entire field passed him over the next two laps. In the final lap, Marx made a move, but his 29 final 200 was only good enough for a 1:55.14. Kiggins and Parker were in the same section. Surprisingly, both went out towards the rear of the pack, although it was a quick pace as both came through in low 27. Kiggins pulled a bit in front of Parker in the final lap and managed to hold on, running 1:54.79 to Parker's 1:54.96. Also running well for MIT were Gil O'Neil '13, who clocked a 1:56.61 and Jared Forman '13 running 1:57.61.

Next up was the 1000 Meter race. All MIT runners were doubling back from the Mile and it showed. Hannon ran a respectable 2:31.09 and Bullock was close behind in 2:31.17. Trimble improved to 2:34.51. Much more is needed from MIT in this event as Tech is accustomed to having more than a few sub 2:30 runners.

In the 4x400, MIT entered two teams, the 400 runners vs. the 800 runners. While the match-up was intriguing, the primary purpose was to stimulate competition to find out who would be on the single most effective 4x400 come championship time. Even though they were entered with the same time, as luck would have it, they ended up in different sections. The 800 runners were first. Gager led off with an excellent 50.7. Parker, only having done four track workouts since last spring, and obviously lacking some speed at this point in the season, still managed a 51.8. Kiggins showed his versatility by running a 51.2. Marx, determined to make up ground on the leaders, did so, but his 23.4 first 200 limited his overall time to a 49.7. The cumulative time of 3:23.59 was a season best for MIT, but would it be enough to beat out the 400 runners?

Singer-Clark showed that tripling does not bother him as he raced to a near perfect 49.9 leadoff. Diamantoni split 50.5 and Jurewicz ran a very competitive 51.0 to put the 400 runners quite a bit up on the 800 team. Duncavage, running his first 400 of the year, and not normally one who prefers the longer sprints, competed very well. Despite locking up in the final 60 or so meters, he still ran 50.1 to give the 400 runners bragging rights for the day in 3:21.69.

Back home, MIT was hosting their own Invitational. Primarily field event athletes as well as hurdlers were at MIT due to the superior field event facilities. Kristine Bunker '14 led the way, tying the varsity record in the High Jump at 5-3 3/4, as she and teammate Preethi Vaidyanathan '15 go back and forth with the record, now standing tied.

Both Bunker and Jackie Konopka '14 qualified for the pentathlon by doing all five events in the meet, both scoring over 3000 points.

The Pole Vaulters had a fine day. Kate Wymbs '14 returned from an injured hamstring to vault 10-0. Leslie Meyer '13 set a personal best of 9-6 1/4 and Abigail Klein '14 vaulted a best of 8-6 1/4.

Other excellent performances were provided by Victoria Szklarzewski '15 and Kali Benavides '15. Szklarzewski ran a nice PR of 7.60 in the 55 Dash and Benavides raced for the first time since a mid-season injury in Cross Country to win the 3K in 11:11.60.

For the men the highlight was a 6-3 1/4 height by John Thomas '15 in the High Jump. Sheldon Trotman '15 showed his jumping ability by hitting 45-0 1/4 in the Triple Jump. Matt Jordan '15 returned to racing, running a very competitive 5K in 16:05.84.

Next Friday, MIT travels up river to compete in the Beantown Classic against Boston University, host Harvard and Northeastern University, all Division I teams.

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