Reduker Adds Long Jump to NCAA Plate

 

May 16, 2019

No less than five personal bests were set by MIT Track & Field athletes at their own MIT Final Qualifier.  The NCAA has to approve any meet that is conducted in the final week prior to the NCAA Division III Championship.  MIT has been the regional host for the third year in succession.  To enter the meet a competitor needs to be approximately ranked among the top 100 in the country for Division III.  This guarantees a high quality, but relatively small meet that lasts three hours or so.

Alec Reduker '20, already tied for first in the High Jump with his 7-0 1/4 jump, added the Long Jump to his NCAA repertoire by jumping a huge personal best 23-8 3/4 to move up to 16th on the NCAA list and fourth on the all-time MIT list.  The top 20 marks in each event qualify for the championship for the men and the top 22 for the women.

Liam Ackerman '21 cleared 16-3 1/2 to win the Pole Vault, moving up to #6 on the NCAA list.  Ackerman made a great attempt at 16-7, narrowly missing it.

Another amazing personal best was had by Will Woltmann '22.  The freshman thrower put the shot 52-5 1/4 to win the event and move up to 27th in the country, as well as fifth on the MIT all-time list.  A couple of fouls were much further, letting everyone know big things will happen in the years to come.

Benton Wilson '21 wanted to qualify in the 400 or 200 and ended up racing both events.  In the 400 he easily ran his best 400 ever, pulling away from the field with a very fast 48.33, which ranks him 29th among all Division III runners and now fifth on the all-time MIT list.  A relatively short time later he won the 200, but could only muster a 21.92, short of what he needs to make the NCAA field.

The women's 800 was the premier event of the evening.  Bailey Tregoning '19, already with a solid time of 2:11.01 agreed to help teammate Margaret Trautner '20 secure a faster time by taking out the pace. The reason Tregoning does not lead is that she tends to run too fast.  So going out in 61.8 was not a total surprise.  Trautner was hanging back in third, still fast at 63.0.  Tregoning continued her pace, coming through the 600 in 1:34.  Trautner moved into second and was trying to make up ground, but was still 20 meters back.  In the final 100 the wheels came off of Tregoning's proverbial bus, but she still finished second in 2:11.57.  Trautner finished third in 2:12.03, an outdoor personal best that moves her to 14th on the NCAA list and number two on the all-time MIT list.

Also of note, Liana Reilly '21 matched her season best of 5-4 1/4 in the High Jump.  She made a great attempt at 5-7, but just displaced the bar.

The Engineers are below their normal numbers they send to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field championship, mostly due to injury and fatigue.  However, they do have a representative group.  The following are making the trip.

Liam Ackerman '21  Pole Vault - 6th - 16-3 1/2

Aidan Gilson '19  3,000 Steeplechase - 14th - 9:08.03

Gabe Madonna '20  Javelin - 13th - 197-6

Alec Reduker '20  High Jump - 2nd - 78-0 1/4, Long Jump - 16th - 23-8 3/4

Yorai Shaoul '21  Triple Jump - 1st - 49-9, Long Jump - 5th - 24-1 3/4

Katie Collins '21  5K - 11th - 17:01.24

Jenna Melanson '20  3,000 Steeplechase - 6th - 10:47.87

Kari Stromhaug '19  Pole Vault - 14th - 12-4 3/4

Margaret Trautner '20  800 - 14th - 2:12.03

Bailey Tregoning '19 800 - 9th - 2:11.01

 

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