April 1, 2000

After a successful Spring Trip to California, hopes for a good start to the season were high. RPI and WPI came to Cambridge to test MIT in this usually foul weather meet. The weather was a surprise with 60 degree temperatures, and sunny, clear skies, but the results were as expected. MIT scored at least 10 points in every event except the three rotational throws (hammer, discus, shot put) as they won with a score of 197 to 143 to RPI, and 48 for WPI.

The new NCAA scoring format for tri-meets is 7-5-4-3-2-1 for individual events and 7-5-0 for relays. The three teams agreed that up to four individuals from a team could score in an event, for a possibility of 19 points.

RPI showed up with a significant loss in that their national qualifying pole vaulter/decathlete was out with an injury. In addition, a couple of them missed the bus, which certainly did not help their chances in what had appeared to be a close meet on paper.

MIT began with their strength as they opened the Long Jump and High Jump with 34 out of a possible 38 points as Junius Ho '01, and Craig Mielcarz led the way with 21-6 1/2 and 6-6 marks respectively. Although the Engineers from Cambridge were getting nearly shutout in the Hammer and Discus, MIT made up for it with 31 points in the Pole Vault and Triple Jump. The Shot Put was as disappointing for MIT as the hammer and discus had been, but Nikos Michalakis '01, and his brother Spiros '03, kept the throws from being a total wash with a 201-1 victory, and a 152-0 4th place .

The running events went in MIT's favor as they outscored their NY rivals 116-64, excluding the relays. It is doubtful that MIT has ever been disqualified in both relays, until this meet that is. In the 400 Relay, Robbie Gray '02, strained his hamstring, preventing him from making the exchange within the zone, thus disqualifying the team. In the longer relay, a last minute substitute, and a corresponding coaching blunder, led to 1 of 4 relay members not wearing the identical uniform. So, instead of the 12 points for 2nd in the 400 Relay and 1st in the 1600 Relay, Tech came away with 0.

Highlights in the running events were a PR (and 2nd victory of the day) in the High Hurdles by Junius Ho with a 15.97 time into the wind, a 50.39 by Yuval Mazor '02, in the 400, Tony Pelosi '01, running a huge PR of 56.71, Sean Montgomery '01, running to his second victory with a 1:56.54 800, and Albert Liu '03, running 15:54.9 in the 5000.

Next week, the Engineers travel to Waterville, ME to face host Colby, Bowdoin, and Southern Maine.