Winter break is a time for most college students to relax and unwind from the horrors of studying 24/7 for final exams and term papers. A time to forget about the first semester, sleep until the sun reaches midday and maybe more, and not think about the upcoming semester. Indeed, a time for us to be lazy couch potatoes.
The same could not be said, however, for the men and women’s indoor track and field team. Instead of sitting back and watching TV, these athletes took to the playing field from New York to Connecticut to Boston. It was a chance to prove that the Seawolves are no slackers, as they produced top finishes in each of the four meets during the break.
The first track meet took place at Yale University to take on the Bulldogs. Three members of the women’s track team competed at the invitation: Dana Hastie, Kerry Salzano, and Jessie Hampson.
Dana Hastie, the senior from Wellington, New Zealand, made a big splash in her first indoor track event of the season with a win in the 3,000-meter with a time of 9:54.81. The time was particularly important to her as this time qualified her for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships which will take place in Boston on Mar. 8 and 9.
Senior Kerry Salzano, from Staten Island, N.Y., posted her own personal best time in the 3,000-meter race when she finished with a time of 10:09.90, good enough for second place. Freshman Jessie Hampson, from Smithtown, N.Y, competed third for the Seawolves, winning the 1-mile event with a time of 5:11.96.
Following their teammate Hastie, both Hampson and Salzano have qualified for their own shot at a championship, being invited to the Metropolitan (MET) Championships on Feb. 1.
The next scheduled meet for the Seawolves team was Jan. 18 at the NYU Invitational, where they competed at the Gotham Cup at the Armory Track. The Seawolves faced off against 11 different schools, and stood out by placing in the top 10 in eight different events, a feat which Coach Andy Ronan was particularly proud of.
For the women’s team, the top finisher for the Seawolves was sophomore Laura Huet from across the pond in Carrickmines, Ireland. Laura placed third in the women’s one-mile event clocking in at 4:59.17. Huet will join Dana Hastie, as Huet’s time qualified her for the ECAC Championships. Huet wasn’t the only Irishwoman who could run well, as freshman Ruth Gillespie from Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, placed 10th with a time of 5:12.55.
The women’s team produced other successes throughout the day, including the senior from Rhode Island, Elizabeth Carlson, who crossed fifth in the 3,000-meter (10:24.24). The distance medley team, freshmen Carolina Cortes from Woodmere, N.Y., and Leanne Skrabacz of West Seneca, N.Y., and sophomores Lisa Voltaire from Stockholm, Sweden and Stephanie Vos of Appalachian, N.Y., finished fifth (13:00.54).
On the men’s side, sophomore Tim Hodge from Tawa, New Zealand had the top-finish for the mens Seawolves, crossing the finish line in fourth place in the one-mile race with a time of 4:12.59. Hodge qualified for the IC4A Championships which will take place in Boston in March.
Mubaarak Muhammad, a senior from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., also had a top-five finish for Stony Brook, finishing fifth in the triple jump (14.03). Sophomore Daire Bermingham a native of Portmarnock, Ireland, crossed ninth in the 1,000-meter (2:32.00).
Running for the men’s 4×800 relay team was Bermingham, junior Gary Chan of Flushing, N.Y., and freshmen Alexander Felicier (Bronx, N.Y.) and Shamell Forbes (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.). They took home an eighth place finish with a time of 8:11.65. Along with Hampson and Salzano, Genao, Muhammad, Bermingham, Voltaire, Gillespie, Carlson and senior Justin Miller (Smithtown, N.Y.) all qualified for the Metropolitan Championships.
A week later on Jan. 25, the women’s track team had a strong showing at the Terrier Invitational in Boston, Mass. In the 5,000-meter race, two top finishing Seawolves made their presence felt. Hastie finished fourth in that event with a time of 17:06.94, and Salzano finished in sixth place behind Hastie (17:17.34). Four new runners emerged to find themselves competing with Hastie in the ECAC Championships: Salzano, Lucy Van Dalen, Huet, and Stephanie Vos.
Next up for the team is the METS Championship on Feb. 1, at the 168th Street Armory in New York, certain to have more exciting finishes and outstanding Seawolf performances.
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