University of Massachusets Athletics

Men's Track And Field Off To Harvard Multi Meet, Beantown Challenge This Weekend
January 11, 2018 | Men's Track & Field
The MInutemen will be in action in Cambridge, Massachusetts this Friday and Saturday.
About the Meet
- This weekend the Minutemen will head east to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the Harvard Multi Meet on Friday and the Beantown Challenge on Saturday. The heptathlon is set to kick off on Friday at 2 p.m. at Harvard's Gordon Indoor Track. Saturday's action will begin with high jump at 11 a.m. Saturday's action will be broadcast on the Ivy League Digital Network. Lancertiming.com will have live results on both days.
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Last Time Out
- UMass opened up its indoor season by placing third at the Dartmouth Relays last Sunday with 48 points, while Northeastern won the meet with a score of 129.
- The day's performances saw three Minutemen qualify for the New England Championships, while junior Jake DeGrace qualified for the IC4A Championships in the 60 meter hurdles.
- DeGrace was the runner-up in the event with a time of 8.25, a New England qualifier, as well.
- Junior Nathan Adeyemi claimed third in both triple jump and long jump. His leap of 46 feet in triple jump qualified him for the New England Championships, while he posted a mark of 22 feet, 1.75 inches in long jump.
 - Senior John Chuma captured third in pole vault, clearing a height of 15 feet, 5 inches to qualify for the New England Championships.
- UMass won the 4x200 meter relay as Michael Hunter, Hayden Gray, Michael Cuthbert and Connor Williams combined for a time of 1 minute, 31.94 seconds.
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Look Who's Back
- The Minutemen return six individuals for this indoor season who scored points at the 2017 Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships.
- Jonathan Collins, UMass' lone returning medalist from a year ago, took bronze in heptathlon at A-10's last season. His PR in the event, 4,736 points, ranks fourth all-time in program history.
- Hunter Gray, who finished just off the podium in heptathlon, taking fourth at the A-10 meet, was selected to the 2017 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team during the indoor season. Last summer he competed at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships and set a personal record in decathlon, finishing sixth with a score of 6,626 points in a field of 11 competitors.Â
- Junior Cole Acoveno was fourth in high jump at the 2017 A-10 indoor meet. He currently ranks fourth all-time in program history in the event (6'8"). Junior Benjamin Murphy also scored in high jump at A-10's last year, taking fifth.
- Sophomore Mason Lord placed fifth in pole vault at indoor A-10's as a freshman last season. He claimed third in the event at the 2017 indoor New England Championships and his PR of 15'5" ranks fifth all-time in program history.
- On the track, junior Brian Gendron was fifth in 1,000m at the 2017 Indoor A-10 Championships and earned silver in the event at the New England Championships. He holds the UMass indoor 800m record (1:50.90) and is third all-time in the 1000m (2:26.38).
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New Faces
- The Minutemen have welcomed 14 freshmen into the fold for 2018: Sprinter Matt Antes (Acton), multi-eventer Chris Caron (West Springfield), distance runner Adam Cook (Melrose), jumper/sprinter Sam Darkwa, Jr. (West Springfield), distance runner Conor Donovan (Lowell), sprinter David Edevbie (London, England), jumper Juvan Elisma (Sharon), jumper/hurdler Connor Grant (Haverhill), distance runner Brandon Harrington (Westport, Conn.), multi-eventer Michael Long (Sudbury), thrower Coston O'Brien (Westfield, N.J.), thrower Hector Petri (Upton), middle-distance runner Christopher Polanco (Fitchburg) and jumper Andrew Pondiscio (Sparta, N.J.).
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Changing Of The Guard
- In July, Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford announced David Jackson as director of men's track and field and cross country, with Ken O'Brien moving into a Coach Emeritus role with the men's cross country program after 50 years of service as head coach of men's track and field and cross country. Jackson enters his ninth year working with the program in 2017-18.
- This weekend the Minutemen will head east to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the Harvard Multi Meet on Friday and the Beantown Challenge on Saturday. The heptathlon is set to kick off on Friday at 2 p.m. at Harvard's Gordon Indoor Track. Saturday's action will begin with high jump at 11 a.m. Saturday's action will be broadcast on the Ivy League Digital Network. Lancertiming.com will have live results on both days.
Â
Last Time Out
- UMass opened up its indoor season by placing third at the Dartmouth Relays last Sunday with 48 points, while Northeastern won the meet with a score of 129.
- The day's performances saw three Minutemen qualify for the New England Championships, while junior Jake DeGrace qualified for the IC4A Championships in the 60 meter hurdles.
- DeGrace was the runner-up in the event with a time of 8.25, a New England qualifier, as well.
- Junior Nathan Adeyemi claimed third in both triple jump and long jump. His leap of 46 feet in triple jump qualified him for the New England Championships, while he posted a mark of 22 feet, 1.75 inches in long jump.
 - Senior John Chuma captured third in pole vault, clearing a height of 15 feet, 5 inches to qualify for the New England Championships.
- UMass won the 4x200 meter relay as Michael Hunter, Hayden Gray, Michael Cuthbert and Connor Williams combined for a time of 1 minute, 31.94 seconds.
Â
Look Who's Back
- The Minutemen return six individuals for this indoor season who scored points at the 2017 Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships.
- Jonathan Collins, UMass' lone returning medalist from a year ago, took bronze in heptathlon at A-10's last season. His PR in the event, 4,736 points, ranks fourth all-time in program history.
- Hunter Gray, who finished just off the podium in heptathlon, taking fourth at the A-10 meet, was selected to the 2017 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team during the indoor season. Last summer he competed at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships and set a personal record in decathlon, finishing sixth with a score of 6,626 points in a field of 11 competitors.Â
- Junior Cole Acoveno was fourth in high jump at the 2017 A-10 indoor meet. He currently ranks fourth all-time in program history in the event (6'8"). Junior Benjamin Murphy also scored in high jump at A-10's last year, taking fifth.
- Sophomore Mason Lord placed fifth in pole vault at indoor A-10's as a freshman last season. He claimed third in the event at the 2017 indoor New England Championships and his PR of 15'5" ranks fifth all-time in program history.
- On the track, junior Brian Gendron was fifth in 1,000m at the 2017 Indoor A-10 Championships and earned silver in the event at the New England Championships. He holds the UMass indoor 800m record (1:50.90) and is third all-time in the 1000m (2:26.38).
Â
New Faces
- The Minutemen have welcomed 14 freshmen into the fold for 2018: Sprinter Matt Antes (Acton), multi-eventer Chris Caron (West Springfield), distance runner Adam Cook (Melrose), jumper/sprinter Sam Darkwa, Jr. (West Springfield), distance runner Conor Donovan (Lowell), sprinter David Edevbie (London, England), jumper Juvan Elisma (Sharon), jumper/hurdler Connor Grant (Haverhill), distance runner Brandon Harrington (Westport, Conn.), multi-eventer Michael Long (Sudbury), thrower Coston O'Brien (Westfield, N.J.), thrower Hector Petri (Upton), middle-distance runner Christopher Polanco (Fitchburg) and jumper Andrew Pondiscio (Sparta, N.J.).
Â
Changing Of The Guard
- In July, Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford announced David Jackson as director of men's track and field and cross country, with Ken O'Brien moving into a Coach Emeritus role with the men's cross country program after 50 years of service as head coach of men's track and field and cross country. Jackson enters his ninth year working with the program in 2017-18.
Players Mentioned
UMass A-10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships Day 2 Highlights
Monday, May 06
Chuma Recognized As UMass Spring Scholar Athlete
Wednesday, May 02
























