MIT Continues to Set Records and Qualify Individuals for Nationals
May 14-15, 2009
MIT only brought a few individuals to the ECAC Division III Championship hosted by Springfield College, but those who made the trip continued to improve and step-up. Even though the women left some who could score in this meet at home, including Amy Magnuson '10, and did not double anyone in an attempt to score points, they still managed to finish in third place with 58 points. Likewise the men only brought four athletes, leaving Stephen Morton '10 and other scorers at home to prepare for finals or to rest for the NCAA Championships next week.
On Friday, the weather consisted of sixty five degree temperatures with rain and strong winds, not particularly conducive for great performances in track and field. Hazel Briner '11, was the first competitor for the Engineers, making another attempt at putting together a heptathlon score of 4400 points, the amount it would likely take to make the NCAA Championships. Her top score thus far had been 4049 and even with a perfect meet 4400 was probably out of reach. Meet management assisted by turning around the high hurdles to go with the wind. Briner took advantage and ran a strong 15.64 for 759 points and a good start. Her second event, the high jump provided her best heptathlon jump of the year with a 4-10 1/2 leap and another 610 points. In the shot put, Briner put together a personal best with a 37-10 effort, worth 630 more points. The final event of day one of the heptathlon, the 200 was run into the wind, which fortunately was only .8 meters per second at the time of the race. Briner ran her second best effort ever with a 27.71 for 654 points. Her first day total was certainly on the way to a great score.
The pole vault was moved inside due to the weather. The men were first and Nate Sharpe '09, was the first to enter for Tech. Sharpe cleared 13-10 and was over 14-4 but failed to do so without displacing the bar. Freshman Nathan Peterson continued to vault well, clearing 14-4 with good attempts at 14-10, but not enough to make the height. Greg Tao '10, cleared 15-9 3/4 with very good attempts at 16-3 1/2. Tao has made it into the NCAA field for the pole vault and will compete at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Back on the track, Jennifer Doyle '09, was trying to improve on her 10,000 meter qualifying time of 36:50.43 as the NCAA has a finite number of competitors for the meet, and most event fields will have between 14-18 competitors. Doyle was ranked 21st on the 10K list. After weeks of working on her senior thesis, not getting the best of sleep and not being able to focus on track and field to the degree she would like, Doyle stepped on the line. Her pace was right on for the first seven laps but then she lost confidence in her ability and let her pace slip to 90 second quarters, which she maintained until the final mile when she realized she had something left. Gradually she picked up the pace, running the final two laps in 84 and 76 seconds respectively to move into second place in 37:07.75.
In the women's pole vault, Emily Hwang '09, looked pretty good at 12-6, but was unable to clear the height, going out in second place with her vault of 12-3 1/2. Karin Fisher '11, did not have her best day in an attempt to better her NCAA qualifying mark of 11-8 1/2, clearing only 10-4. Hwang will vault at 4:00 p.m. on Friday at nationals.
On day two, the weather improved greatly, going to the extreme of 85 degrees, with little or no wind. Briner still had difficulty getting an outstanding long jump but did manage a pretty good 14-10 3/4 for 443 points. She popped a big javelin throw of 94-1, nearly a 10 foot PR, for 452 points. Briner saved her best for last as she ran an outstanding 2:29.11 in the 800 for 704 points and a 4247 total. Her score was an NCAA provisional mark but not enough to make the championship field.
In the 1500, Yermie Cohen '09, ran a strong race but just did not make his move soon enough. The first quarter was a pedestrian 65, but the pace picked up significantly to 61 with Cohen moving up to the front of the pack. The third quarter slowed a bit but the leaders still came through in 3:09. If Cohen would have moved then, he not only would have won but would likely have run 3:51. Instead he held back, not thinking he could kick from that far out, and waited until the final 100 to make his move. He ran a personal best of 3:53.84, .02 out of first place. Cohen's time will not likely get him into the NCAA field.
Jacqui Wentz '10, had no issues of holding back. Running with the pack through the first quarter in 72 seconds, Wentz took the lead halfway through lap two, coming through the 800 in 2:25. Wentz lengthened her lead through the third quarter, splitting the 1200 in 3:38. Her final 300 was an incredible 52 seconds en route to a 4:30.94, a nine second personal best and an automatic NCAA qualifying time. Anna Holt-Gosselin '11, also ran the 1500 as a tune-up for the 10K at the NCAA's on Thursday night at 7:40 p.m. should she get into the field. Her 4:48.65 was five seconds off of her best as it did not seem she was as mentally prepared as in the past. Even though her 1500 time is the fifth fastest time in the country, Wentz is electing to race only in the 3000 Steeplechase on Friday at 5:35 p.m., an event in which she is seeded 12th, but has a very good chance of placing high.
Next on the track were freshman stars Portia Jones, and Martha Gross in the 400. Jones was trying to improve her NCAA qualifying time of 56.95 while Gross was attempting to dip into the 58s. Jones went out better than usual, running the first 200 in a high 26, but then seemed to back off for the third 100, not making up the big gap between her and Marcia McCord of Ithaca. In the final 100, Jones closed the gap but still lost by .66 seconds, running a personal best of 56.61. Gross seemed to be running for time instead of racing, running tense the entire way. Her 59.73 was not quite what she was hoping for. While Jones time will get her into nationals, she is deciding on racing the 400IH at the NCAA Championships where her 61.82 is the sixth fastest time in the championship field. Jones will run the 400IH trials at 5:20 on Thursday and if she makes the finals she will race on Saturday at 3:25.
Andrea Bradshaw '09, was in the 800, hoping to find the fight that made her the indoor New England Division III champion and the indoor 600 and 800 record holders for MIT. She did not take advantage of the slow 67 first 400, preferring to hang in the back of the pack. Her second quarter showed signs of the fight she used to have, but it was not enough to qualify for the NCAAs. She placed seventh in 2:16.75.
Jamie Simmons '12, the other sensational 400 freshman runner, was out to improve her 400IH time and hopefully make the NCAA field, which would take a sub 63 performance. Simmons ran the best race of the year as she did not stutter any hurdles, only making one step adjustments. Her off balance first steps after the hurdles cost her but she nevertheless ran a fine personal best of 63.57, good for fifth place. This time is not likely to make the 400IH field at nationals.
The final event of the championship for MIT was the 4x400 relay. The foursome of Simmons, Bradshaw, Gross and Jones owned the sixth fastest time in the country going into the day with a 3:52.03, but knowing there were many last chance meets as well as some very good competition in their own meet, that time may not hold up, and they needed to try to improve. Simmons led things off with a phenomenal 57.9 lead off leg to put MIT in second behind Cabrini College. Bradshaw lost a little time on the handoff as she left a little early and then got passed by a strong leg from Wheaton College even though she ran a solid 58.9 leg. However, she passed the Cabrini runner down the home stretch, moving MIT back into second. A good handoff to Gross helped, but her 59.5 leg lost a lot of ground to a very fast Cabrini third leg and a strong Wheaton runner. Jones received the baton 10 meters behind Wheaton and 20-25 behind Cabrini. Jones caught the Wheaton runner by the 200 mark but then similar to her open 400, seemed to save herself for the final 100. The fatiguing Cabrini runner took advantage of this and held on to a .55 second win over MIT's 3:52.85. MIT enters the championship as the eighth fastest team. They will run trials at 7:25 p.m. on Thursday, and the finals, should they qualify, at 4:55 p.m. on Saturday.