University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Track & Field Continues Championship Season
February 26, 2009 | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 26, 2009
Boston, Mass. - The UMass men's and women's track and field team heads to Boston, Mass. this weekend for the New England Championships held at Boston University. Multiple members of both teams have qualified throughout the season to participate in this event. The meet commences Friday at 12:00 p.m. at the Track and Tennis Center and continues Saturday, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Last season, on the women's side, Shiyi Zan (Ottawa, Ontario) ran her way into the UMass record books at the New England's with a time of 17:08.64 in the 5K for the fifth fastest mark in school history. This year, Zan will be competing in the 3000 meter run. She will also team up with Ros Murphy (Beverly, Mass.), Claire Pettit (Warwick, N.Y.), and Gina Perno (Plainview, N.Y.) for the distance medley relay.
Other Minutewomen sure to make headlines will be redshirt senior Kristen Bakanowski (Northboro, Mass.), Ida Okkonen (Kuopio, Finland), Steph Aguguo (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Lisa Wilson (Holden, Mass.) Last weekend at the A-10 Championships, Bakanowski ranked second overall in the pole vault with a mark of 12-07.50. Okkonen has been a top competitor for UMass this season, ranking fourth all-time at UMass in the long jump with a mark of 18-09.25 at the Great Dane Invitational. Aguguo has also burst onto the scene this season, triple jumping a distance of 38-06.00 at A-10's last weekend for a place at third in UMass history. Wilson, a dominate thrower, qualified for this meet with her best throws of the season at the Great Dane Invitational.
For the Minutemen, last season's top performance came from Nicolai Naranjo (Essex Falls, N.J.), who took first place in the 5000 meter run with a time of 14:22.57. Jonathan Pierce (Hanover, Mass.) ranked sixth in that event with a time of 14:36.84. Along with graduated senior Nils Fischer, the three scored half of the total points for UMass at the meet.
Philip Weltman (Dedham, Mass.) has dominated for the Minutemen, showing composure beyond his rookie status. Weltman earned A-10 Rookie of the Week for his efforts at the Valentine Invitational, after he ran the second-fastest time in school history in the 400 meter (48.45). Also leading the Minutemen is senior captain Peter Fortunato (Tewksbury, Mass.), who earned A-10 Co-Performer of the Week after he ran the mile in 4:11.48 at the Valentine Invitational. Last weekend, sophomore Daniel Schwartz (Sudbury, Mass.) ranked third in the heptathlon with a score of 4334. Schwartz finished first in the 1000 meter run with a time of 2:43.13 and third in the shot put (33-02.50) and pole vault (12-03.50).