Career Weekend For MIT Track & Field
Two Varsity and Three Freshman Records Among Myriad Personal Bests
January 30, 2016
After three consecutive weekends of scoring meets, it was nice to let the dogs run so to speak. Rather than worry about points or winning meets, MIT split their team up, providing the best competitive environment for each of the athletes, competing at three different meets.
The primary meet was the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic. The meet format had the women competing on Friday and the men on Saturday. Being widely known as arguably the fastest track in the country, athletes, professional and collegiate come from around the country to compete at the two invitationals offered by BU, the Terrier this weekend and Valentines two weeks later.
MIT's first entry was Bailey Tregoning '19 in the 800. She entered the meet with a 2:19 personal best, but the plan was to win her section and hope that such an effort would net her a 2:15 performance. Even starting in the back of the back, the pace for her first 200 was much too fast at 31 seconds. She did not let that affect her, she just raced, moving up through the pack well in splits of 64 and 1:39. In the final 200 she was able to move up to fourth and a new MIT freshman record of 2:14.58. Her performance was an indication of what to expect the rest of the weekend.
Hannah Chen '18 ran her first competitive 400 of the season, and despite fatigue from a hard two weeks of work, she was able to run a well paced race, winning in a season best 58.10. Later, in the 200 she ran 26.10 in another victory. Teammate Nneoma Okonkwo '18 ran a personal best 25.95 despite leaning prematurely at the wrong finish line. Kendra Knittel '17, just back from injury, ran 26.52 in the 200.
Jackie Vahey '17 was the only field event performer MIT brought to the venue, and she competed well. She did not have personal bests but she did throw 52-7 1/4 in the Weight Throw (2 cm off her best) and 38-4 3/4 in the Shot Put.
In the Mile Run, Clementine Mitchell '18 ran a significant personal best as she ran 5:16.11. There is still plenty of room for improvement as Mitchell lost focus in the middle of the race, but finished well.
In the 3K, MIT had five entries, all were looking for very competitive races and to qualify for the New England Division III Championship. With the banked track penalty it would take a 10:41 for a qualifying time. Nicole Zeinstra '16 led the MIT qualifiers with a 10:29.14. Also qualifying were Megan Montgomery '19 (10:33.75) and Bailey Margolis '19 (10:34.53). Camila Thanos '19 just missed qualifying, running 10:42.11. Darby LaPlant '19 fell off the pace at the end, running 10:50.21.
The most anticipated event for MIT was the 5K. Maryann Gong '17 was making her 5K debut against a very strong field of runners who had all run in the low 16's. The plan was to run 5:15-5:20 pace from start to finish and go for the win if the opportunity presented itself. The pace could not have been more perfect as the field clicked off 39 second 200's en route to a 5:15 first mile and 5:16 second mile. After 2800 meters she ran her first 41 second 200, falling off the pace slightly from the top three runners. Two of the three slowed also, giving Gong a group to run with through a 5:23 third mile. Gong was in unchartered territory, making a tremendous effort to hold on and race despite the fatigue. She desperately tried to beat the two runners in front of her, closing in a 38 final 200, but was unable to do so. Regardless, her 16:32.44 is the fastest time in the country for Division III this year, in fact, the second fastest indoor time ever in Division III, and of course a new MIT record.
The next day the men took over where the women left off. Michael Kaba '16 led things off in the 60HH, tying his season best of 8.46, an impressive performance on the soft sprint surface at BU. The next competitor was Jarod Wilson '19 running the 800. Wilson had run a 1:56 at the MIT Intrasquad Meet back in the December, but since that time had dealt with two minor leg injuries that had him ill prepared mentally for last week's meet. That embarrassment had him in a much better mental state entering this race. Having led most races in high school, Wilson was trying to become accustomed to letting others set the pace and do the work. He narrowly avoided getting boxed in during the third 200, positioned himself well throughout the race and with 150 remaining, kicked past the leaders to win in a new MIT freshman record of 1:52.74. The former record holder was perhaps the greatest MIT runner of all-time, Paul Neves '83, who had run a 1:52.7 hand time back in 1980.
The 400 runners were up next, trying to position themselves for the New England Division III Championship as well as to determine who would ultimately be on the 4x400 Relay team. States Lee '16 was first up. Running an impressive first 200 in 22.7 and getting the break, Lee worked the second 200 well to hold off his competition and win in 48.64. Kaba was back on the track for the two lapper, also running a near perfect first 200. His second 200 he strained too hard to hold off his opponents, which caused a slight loss of speed, but not enough to keep the junior (from an eligibility point of view) from running a 48.98 PR. Danny Newman '17 ran a very strong race to run a personal best 49.80. Derek Barnes '16 ran an excellent first 200, earned the break, but did not guard the inside lane well enough, getting shoved out to lane two by a runner who squeezed through, causing Barnes to stumble for a few steps. He re-focused to finish in 50.10. Luca Cacopardo '18 got out a bit slow, running 23.4 for the opening 200, but ran a strong middle 200 to finish in 50.33. Michael Amoako '19 ran a personal best of 51.47 and Talla Babou '19 ran a PR 51.57.
In the Mile Run, only Kunal Tangri '19 represented MIT, but that was enough as the freshman ran an outstanding 4:13.25. The freshman record is 4:11.67, a mark that is within his reach.
The 400 runners would have a long day as most of them would return in the 200 less than an hour after their 400 and then some of them would run the 4x400 to attempt to get a national qualifying performance. In the 200 Kaba earned top billing with his 21.90 personal best and new MIT record. Tre Albritten '18 was just .02 off his PR, but his 22.01 was a season best. Newman ran 22.36 to barely miss making MIT's all-time top ten list. Lee has not been as smooth on the turns this year in the 200, and it showed with his 22.42. Cacopardo ran 22.66 out of lane two, a lane the sophomore seems to get every meet. Richard Lu '16 ran 22.91.
The goal for the 4x400 was to run around 3:15. For the first effort of the year, everyone knew the goal would be a reach. Nevertheless the quartet of Kaba, Wilson, Newman and Lee were invested and focused. Kaba led off and did a marvelous job, splitting 48.5 as he handed off to Wilson in the lead. Wilson, coming off of miler workouts, did not appear to have the acceleration to defend the lead. He split 50.3, but it is apparent he can go much faster as he was stuck in third most of the second lap and could not get around the two leaders. Newman ran a strong third leg, splitting 49.5. Lee passed one runner but could not take the win even though he ran 48.5 for a 3:16.94 performance, currently number two in NCAA Division III.
The final event for Tech was the 3K. Colin Godwin '17, Aidan Gilson '19 and David Walter '18 were out to run in the 8:20's, perhaps faster. With Josh Rosenkranz '19 sitting out after just having set the freshman record of 8:33.32 last week on a flat track, Gilson was hoping to steal the record. Gilson ran first and was very fortunate to get a negative split pace to a 4:27 first mile. However, the freshman reverted to negative thoughts and let the perfect pace get to him, thinking it was too fast. After 2K he slowed to 70 and then 71 for the next two 400's, before waking up a bit to finish with a 32 final 200, running 8:28.85, and a new freshman record. Godwin was in the next section. The leaders in his race went out a little slower, hitting the 1600 in 4:32. However, Godwin continued to run 68 400's and then with 600 to go ran 65 and finished with a 30 final 200 to run 8:23.41. Walter was in the slower section, which was still pretty quick. The sophomore came through the 1600 in 4:43. At that point he should have gone for the win, but he doubted himself. Unlike other races, he continued to stay engaged, even having a strong kick at the end to run a personal best 8:45.05.
At the Tufts Stampede, the multi's were doing pretty well. Natalie Alper '17 did not have her best day, but it was strong enough as she won the overall event. She ran the 60HH in a best of 10.38. Her High Jump tied her personal best of 5-3 3/4. However her Shot Put was a dismal 23-4 3/4 and her Long Jump just average at 15-10 1/4. She bounced back with an outstanding 800 in 2:28.20 for a total score of 2975 points. Haley Strouf '18 had a big day and set a PR of 2741 points. She ran a personal best in the 60HH of 10.08, had a long jump of 16-6, threw the shot 31-11 1/2 and high jumped 4-8 3/4, all terrific marks. Her downfall was the 800, which she ran in 2:55.27.
In the men's Heptathlon, Luke Gray '18 came close to his personal best with a score of 4128 pts. Gray had marks of 9.18 in the 60HH, 17-10 3/4 in the Long Jump, 37-7 3/4 in the Shot Put, 5-2 1/4 in the High Jump, 7.73 in the 60 Meter Dash, 12-3 1/2 in the Pole Vault and a strong 2:52.67 in the 1000. The total should qualify him for the New England Division III Championship.
Back at MIT's Art Farnham Invitaitonal a tremendous battle was brewing in the Triple Jump. Billy Ruschel '18 opened up with a best ever of 46-11 1/2. Arinze Okeke '17 answered with a season best of 47-6. On his second attempt, Okeke added a little distance with a 47-7 3/4 jump. Angel Echevarria '16 jumped 45-1 1/2 on his third jump. The finals had a lot of potential and Carrington Motley '16, who took a while to get going, put one out there on his fourth attempt, jumping 45-9 1/4. Unfortunately no one improved after that even though they jumped consistently well.
Marshall Wentworth '16 won the Pole Vault with a new personal best of 14-11. In the women's Pole Vault, Cimmy Virdi '16 cleared 13-1 1/2 to win the event and lead the country for Division III. The vaulters dominated with an outstanding day. Jen Tylock '17 cleared 11-1 3/4, Makenzie Patarino '19 cleared 10-8, as did Madeleine Waller '17. Kathleen Brandes '19 and Leah Schmitz '16 both cleared 10-2.
Other strong marks were earned by Isabella Stuopis '16 with a shot put of 41-4 3/4 and by Ariela Slutsky '18 with a put of 37-6 3/4.
Next week, MIT takes nearly their entire squad to Tufts for the Cupid Challenge. There will be extremely good competition as teams are coming from all over the East Coast to race.
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