MIT Track & Field Defends NEWMAC Titles
Seniors, Three Freshman Records Lead Way
April 28, 2018
MIT successfully defended their NEWMAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship titles today at Springfield College, the women winning their 10th consecutive championship and the men earning their 18th in succession, having only lost the title in 2000. Although the women scratched two of their top-seeded 5K runners, and the men three of their 5K runners as well as their 4x400 squad, both teams won handedly. The women scored 213 points, 72.5 more than second place WPI, and the men 274.5, 53 up on runner-up WPI.
Although there was a little wind, the weather could not have been much better. For the first day this season the temperature was conducive for outstanding track and field performances. MIT took full advantage, highlighted by three freshman records and some solid future championship qualifying performances. Jacqueline Ahrens '21 established a new MIT Freshman record in the Pole Vault, clearing 12-5 1/2 to place second and move her into a tie for sixth on the NCAA Division III ranking this season. Benton Wilson '21, who already owns the freshman records in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes, lowered his record in the 200 to a 21.69, which is still a couple tenths away from qualifying for nationals. Yorai Shaoul '21 added the freshman long jump record to his triple jump record, jumping 23-0 to win the event on his final jump. This mark ranks him 31st nationally, meaning he will need another eight inches or so to qualify for nationals. Shaoul's 48-4 record, which he tied to win this competition has him fifth ranked nationally. Shaoul was presented with the NEWMAC Field Event Athlete of the meet for his performances.
The seniors led the way for MIT and will be difficult for the Engineers to replace next year. The seniors combined for 195.5 points; 99.5 for the men and 96 for the women in a scoring format of 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. For the men, Cody Bratten '18 scored 28 points, earning victories in the Shot Put and the Discus while also throwing a personal best of 151-4 in the Hammer to place second. Bratten's Shot Put victory of 50-0 3/4 was a personal best and his Discus win was a season best of 160-8. Bratten is ranked 14th on the national list.
Chris Sweeney '18 accounted for 20 of those points, winning both the 110HH and the 400IH. His victory in the 110HH was a personal best of 14.88 and his 54.02 in the 400IH was a season best. Sweeney is ranked 17th in NCAA DIII for the 400IH.
Billy Ruschel '18 and his fellow horizontal jumpers added 23 points. Ruschel placed second in the Triple Jump (45-7 3/4) and third in the Long Jump with a personal best of 22-0 3/4. Jason Villanueva '18 and Ryan Prinster '18 added a fourth and fifth respectively in the Triple Jump as MIT placed 1-2-4-5.
The distance squad was responsible for the remainder of the senior's points contribution. David Walter '18 used an excellent negative split strategy (5:04, 5:01, 4:54) to win the 5K, finishing with a 32 final 200 to win in 15:31.13. In the 10K, Nicholas Waltman '18 and Alex Knoedler '18 led MIT to a 1-2-3-5 scoring blast against their opponents. After a controlled 8K in 26:28, MIT picked up the pace. Waltman pushed ahead for the victory in 32:36.22 and Knoedler chose not to challenge, finishing second in 32:42.73.
The women seniors were also led by a thrower. Ariela Slutsky '18 also scored 28 points, taking victories in the Hammer and Discus while placing second in the Shot Put. Limited in the Shot Put all year due to a thumb injury from that event, Slutsky threw 38-5 from a power position, a season best. In the Discus Slutsky won easily with a throw of 143-0 and likewise, won the Hammer with a throw of 172-6. Slutsky is nationally ranked in both the Hammer and Discus; 17th in the Discus and 4th in the Hammer.
Hannah Chen '18 scored 22 points for the Engineers as she won the 400IH, placed second in the 110HH, ran a leg on the 4x100 Relay that placed third, as well as a leg on the victorious 4x400 team. Chen ran a season best 14.65 in the 100HH. In the 400IH she ran 62.47 to win the event. Running the second leg on the 4x400 team, Chen split 56.7 as she put her team in the lead for good. The quartet of Kristen Frombach '19, Chen, Katie Williams '21 and Bailey Tregoning '19 ran a season best 3:56.80. Chen is ranked 14th nationally in the 100HH and 7th in the 400IH.
Nneoma Okonkwo '18 contributed 17.5 points to the cause. The senior won the Long Jump, matching her season best of 18-6, as well as placing third in the 100 with a season best of 12.47. She also ran a leg on the 4x100 Relay. Okonkwo is ranked 16th nationally in the Long Jump.
Mary Eccles '18, scored 14 points towards her team's victory. She first ran her non-specialty 1500 meters, placing fifth in 4:46.92 and then came back in the 5K, winning in a sit and kick 18:19.99.
Haley Strouf '18 added 9.5 points to the seniors' total, placing second in the Long Jump (17-10 1/4) and running a leg on the 4x100 Relay. Dana Balek '18 added five points with her fourth place finish in the Javelin, throwing 112-2.
The men won three additional victories. Chris Washington '20, cleared 6-6 in the High Jump to win, just missing 6-9 1/2. Jon Fakkema '19 took first place honors in the Hammer Throw with a toss of 161-1. Aidan Gilson '19 was victorious in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase, taking the lead early in the race, running a season best 9:26.65.
The women's only other victory was a big one, as Jenna Melanson '20 won the Steeplechase in a season best 10:48.36. The sophomore currently holds the eighth fastest time in Division III.
Next weekend MIT hosts the New England Division III Track and Field Championship. While both the women and men should do well, neither will be seeded to win and defend their titles. The men have won the past four years in a row while the women have won five consecutive New England Division III titles.
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