University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
UConn Invitational
Men Take Fourth, Women Take Sixth at UConn Invitational
April 05, 2008 | Men's Track & Field
April 5, 2008
STORRS, Conn. - The UMass track and field teams kicked off the 2008 outdoor season at the UConn Invitational hosted by the University of Connecticut. Overall, the men placed fourth, while the women placed eighth. The top performance of the day came from sophomore Lisa Wilson (Holden, Mass.) who placed third in the discus throw. With a distance of 145 feet, one inch, Wilson now holds UMass' third best discus throw and also qualifies for both the New England Championships and the ECAC Championships. In addition, Wilson qualifies for the New England Championships in the shot put. Wilson placed sixth in the competition with a throw of 42 feet, eight inches. For the men's team, the Minutemen took first place in three events and qualified for the New England Championships in three events.
In the 400 meter dash, senior Nathan Barksdale (Valparaiso, Indiana) placed first with a time of 49.76 seconds. Senior Nils Fischer (Stow, Mass.) took first place in the 5000 meter run with a time of 15:02.57. The relay team of Barksdale, sophomore Brian Miller (Foxboro, Mass.), sophomore Ian Hackney (Stratford, Conn.), and sophomore Andrew O'Donnell (Plymouth, Mass.) placed first in the 4x100 meter relay in 43.24 seconds. The relay team's first place finish also qualifies them for the New England Championships.
Hackney also took third place in the 200 meter dash. His time of 22.28 seconds qualified him for the New England Championships. Junior Jesse Regnier (Hampden, Mass.) took second place in the 3000 meter steeplechase. With a time of 9:27.48, Regnier also qualifies for the New England Championships.
For the women, sophomore Holly Heinricher (Foxboro, Mass.) qualified for the New England Championships in the 200 meter dash. Heinricher placed seventh with a time of 26.08 seconds. Red-shirted junior Kristen Bakanowski (Northboro, Mass.) also qualified for the New England Championships in the pole vault competition. Bakanowski placed second with a height of 11 feet, 5.75 inches.
In other men's events, sophomore Samuel Laorenza (North Andover, Mass.) took third place in the 400 meter dash in 50.11 seconds. Freshman Michael Perotta (Woodmere, N.Y.) was right behind in fourth place in 50.41 seconds.
In the 800 meter run, senior Ryan Durkin (Andover, Mass.) led the way for UMass with a fourth place finish in 1:58.63. Freshman Zachary Gordon (Pittsfield, Mass.) placed seventh in 1:59.57, while senior James Bentley (Cotuit, Mass.) finished eighth in 1:59.99. In the 1500 meter run, junior Josh Boone (Gardner, Mass.) took third place in 3:58.15. Freshman Kris Carle (Jackson, N.J.) placed ninth in 4:01.65, while sophomore Jonathan Pierce (Hanover, Mass.) finished tenth in 4:01.92.
Sophomore Andrew Mulvaney (South Hadley, Mass.) took third place in the 5000 meter run in 15:24.48. In the 3000 meter steeplechase, freshman Sean Duncan (Gardner, Mass.) placed fourth with a time of 9:44.83.
In the 400 meter hurdles, freshman Daniel Schwartz (Sudbury, Mass.) took fourth place in 58.74 seconds. The relay team of Barksdale, O'Donnell, Laorenza, and sophomore Ryan DiOrio (Bridgewater, N.J.) placed sixth in the 4x400 meter relay to finish in 3:32.27.
In field events, Brian Miller took second place in the high jump with a height of six feet, 2.25 inches, while freshman Chris Vercollone (Burlington, Mass.) placed fifth with a height of five feet, 10.50 inches.
In other women's events, freshman Arrika Freeman (Waterbury, Conn.) placed tenth in the 100 meter dash in 13.46 seconds. In the 400 meter hurdles, sophomore Brittany Bakanowski (Northboro, Mass.) placed ninth in 1:07.38.
Freshman Gina Perno (Plainview, N.Y.) finished sixth in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:17.92. In the 1500 meter run, freshman Elizabeth Fisk (Seekonk, Mass.) finished tenth in 5:01.40. Red-shirted freshman Shiyi Zan (Ottawa, Ontario) placed third in the 5000 meter run in 18:10.96, while freshman Kristin Darling (Miller Place, N.Y.) finished ninth in 19:22.97. In the 3000 meter steeplechase, freshman Jamie Richmond (Monson, Mass.) took third place with a time of 12:49.55.
In the 4x100 meter relay, the team of Kristen and Brittany Bakanowski, sophomore Ros Murphy (Beverly, Mass.), and Heinricher placed third with a time of 49.84 seconds. The Minutewomen had four teams compete in the 4x400 meter relay with two placing in the top ten. The team of Brittany Bakanowski, Heinricher, Murphy, and Perno placed sixth in 4:07.36, while the team of Kristen Bakanowski, sophomore Nicole Serapiglia (Northboro, Mass.), senior Brit Canfield (Southwick, Mass.) and freshman Jaclyn Imhoff (Milton, Mass.) finished tenth in 4:13.88.
In field events, sophomore Molly Chapin (Northfield, Mass.) placed fifth in the pole vault competition with a height of ten feet, while freshman Jenelle Denehy (Whately, Mass.) placed sixth with a height of 9 feet, 6.25 inches. Freshman Stephanie Aguguo (Shrewsbury, Mass.) finished sixth in the triple jump with a distance of 35 feet, 4.50 inches. In the javelin throw, freshman Kristina Landau (Millis, Mass.) took fifth place with a throw of 116 feet, 4 inches.
Overall, UConn took first place for both the men and women.
Next Saturday, UMass will host the UMass Invitational at the UMass Track and Field Complex. The meet is scheduled for 11:30 A.M.
