DISTANCE RUNNERS SHINE IN LOSING EFFORT
April 3, 2004
The times have changed in the track and field scene at MIT but it is nice to know that at least some things stay the same. Already suffering their second loss of the season after going two years without a loss, MIT is trying to come to grips with having so few bodies in the field events. However, the distance runners, silent most of the year, made themselves heard loud and clear in Troy, NY on Saturday.
MIT lost by the largest amount in recent history to a strong and well balanced RPI team by a score of 225.5 to 122.5, even though they did beat WPI with a score of 55 points. The potential scoring per event was 22 points with a point distribution of 7-5-4-3-2-1 for places 1-6. The eight field events only accumulated 27.5 points for MIT and Uzoma Orji garnered 17 of them. Orji saved his best effort for last with a new MIT outdoor record of 56-1. The only other win in the field events for MIT came from Nate Ball who cleared 14-11 to claim the pole vault.
By contrast, in the four events that comprise the 800-5000 meters, MIT took 58 points from the other engineering schools. Without Brian Anderson, who is still recovering from his glute/hamstring injury from the indoor season, MIT won the 1500, 3000SC and 5000 meter runs. In the 1500, John Brewer led a 1-2-3 sweep with a well run 4:07.85 effort. Fivos Constantinou followed closely with a 4:09.82 and Carlos Renjifo closed strongly to finish in 4:10.75. In the steeplechase, Ben Schmeckpeper took the lead at the gun and never looked back. Schmeckpeper ran 9:37.89 despite stuttering before most of the barriers, causing him to lose a lot of time. Rookies Chris Fidkowski, Robby Bryant and Kevin DiGenova placed third, fifth and sixth with times of 10:15.49, 10:29.66 and 10:57.44 respectively. The 5000 offered another MIT sweep as Eric Khatchadourian put together the race he has sought all year, running a huge personal best of 15:45.69. Running with Khatchadourian for the two miles, Kevin Brulois also ran a personal best of 15:52.26 for second place. Ian Driver also put together his best race of the year with a third place 16:07.91.
The 800 did not provide an MIT victory, but the 1500 runners and Schmeckpeper returned to claim 2-3-5-6. Renjifo led the way with a PR of 2:00.20 and was followed by Brewer with another PR of 2:01.03. Schmeckpeper kicked by Constantinou in 2:03.07 for his year's best 800.
The only other victory for MIT came in the 200 when Zach Traina won his specialty in 22.73. The sprinters held their own by claiming second in the 400 relay with a time of 43.78 and by claiming third, fifth and sixth in the 100.
If Tom Hoover, Nestor Hernandez and Anderson return some of the holes for MIT should be filled in nicely. MIT is at home next Saturday with an 11:00 start against Bowdoin, UMass Lowell and Tufts.