By Rick Platt
Three relay championships and five individual wins helped the William and Mary men's and women's outdoor track teams to strong runnerup scores in the 41st annual Colonial Relays last weekend at Zable Stadium. The event, presented by adidas, attracted over 2,000 athletes from high schools and universities up and down the East coast.
Friday was mainly individual events (from 100 meters to 5,000 meters), while
Saturday was reserved for relays (from the 400-meter to the 6,000-meter relays).
Field events were on both days. The scoring of the meets went eight deep (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1)
in all individual and relays events. There were 18 women's scoring teams, with
Yale (131) winning over W&M (110 5/6), followed in the top ten by Hampton
(94), Boston University (80), St. John's (78 1/3), Seton Hall (78), Bucknell
(67 1/3), Norfolk State (56), St. Francis (46) and James Madison (46).
In the men's division, IC4A power Penn State (coached by former W&M track
coach Harry Groves) dominated with 192 points, followed in the top ten by W&M
(106), Seton Hall (80), St. Francis (66), Bucknell (63), Rhode Island (62),
Yale (43), Boston University (39), Rutgers (35) and Monmouth (32). Also among
the 22 scoring men's teams were Norfolk State (21 points), Hampton (14), JMU
(13) and Christopher Newport (6).
W&M men's coach Andy Gerard said, "It was a great meet. The weather
was perfect." Gerard pointed out that nine of the top 20 teams from last
month's indoor IC4A championships were there. W&M was 20th in that IC4A
meet, so moved past all but one at the Colonial Relays. "I was pleased
with that," said Gerard. "Overall, it was a nice stepping stone for
the conference [CAA] meet."
The W&M men swept the distance events, winning the 800, 1,500 and 5,000
meters. Chris Wilber won the 800 in 1:51.35, an IC4A qualifier (and two tenths
off an NCAA regional qualifier). Sean Graham (3:49.46) and John O'Connor (3:49.56)
went 1-2 in the 1,500 in an exciting three-way battle with a Bucknell runner
(3:49.85), all three with IC4A and NCAA regional qualifiers. Ed Moran dominated
the 5,000 by 16 seconds with his 14:21.06, also IC4A and NCAA regional qualifier.
This is the first year that the NCAA has gone to a regional qualifying system.
The W&M women were similarly strong in the distances. In what W&M women's
coach Pat Van Rossum called "the most exciting event of the weekend,"
the Tribe had four of the top eight finishers in the 1,500 meters. Cheryl Bauer
outkicked Yale star Laura O'Neill to win, 4:32.84 to 4:32.99 (equivalent to
a 4:51 mile), with W&M's Tara Guelig third (4:33.66), Lara Toscani sixth
(4:38.61) and freshman Lauren Heron eighth (4:39.99). Bauer, Guelig and Toscani
all set lifetime bests, Guelig by eight seconds and Toscani by five seconds.
Jackie Kosakowski went "unchallenged" in the 3,000-meter steeplechase,
winning in an ECAC and NCAA-regional qualifying 10:57.97. Maura McMahon was
second overall (and first collegian) in the 5,000 meters in 17:16.67, an ECAC
qualifier.
Not surprisingly, the W&M women dominated the 4 x 1,500-meter relay winning
by 45 seconds over Yale in 18:40.40 (Bauer, McMahon, Guelig and Ali Henderson).
They also won the shuttle hurdle relay in 1:01.81 (Lora Meekins, Kara Snyder,
Bonnie Meekins, Alarice Cesareo).
Other W&M women's relay places were in the 400-meter relay (4th, 48.33,
ECAC qualifier), 800-meter relay (5th, 1:43.88), 1,600-meter relay (8th, 3:54.67),
3,200-meter relay (4th, 9:29.27) and distance medley relay (2nd, 11:50.27, with
Henderson anchoring in 4:48.3 for 1,600 meters).
The W&M men were strong in the distance relay events, winning an exciting
3,200-meter relay (7:35.94) over Yale (7:36.05) with a team of Matt Wolak, O'Connor,
Sean Conway and Wilber). The second-place 4 x 1,500-meter relay team (15:42.72)
trailed Penn State by one second (Graham, Sean Anastasia-Murphy, Jeff Hedley,
O'Connor). The distance medley relay team was sixth in 10:15.62.
Other top six finishes by the W&M men were by Jeff Hedley (5th, 1,500 meters,
3:52.74), Jacob Frey (3rd, 5,000, 14:40.04), Michael Keeling (3rd, 3,000-meter
steeplechase, 9:26.35) and Adam Otstot (6th, steeplechase, 9:37.24). Top finishers
in the field events were by Phil Agee (2nd, pole vault, 15-7), Curtis Smith
(3rd, triple jump, 47-5, IC4A qualifier), Aaron Mitchell (2nd, shot put, 52-6,
IC4A qualifier), Chris Parsons (3rd, hammer throw, 176-10, IC4A qualifier; and
7th, discus, 146-1) and Andy Smith (7th, javelin, 202-9, IC4A and NCAA regional
qualifier).
For the W&M women, other top six finishes were by Naomi Mattos (6th, 400
meters, 57.45), Kara Snyder (4th, 100-meter hurdles, 15.26), Karen Pulliam (6th,
steeplechase, 11:32.38). In the field events, top finishers were Cassidy Harris
(2nd, shot put, 42-11 3/4), Anne Larmore (3rd, high jump, 5-5), Bonnie Meekins
(4th, high jump, 5-3), Alarice Cesareo (6th, high jump, 5-3), Jen Barnes (5th,
pole vault, 10-10) and Ashlea Barrett (7th, pole vault, 10-4).