March 25, 2013
Tribe Open Results
EASTON, Pa. - The Lafayette track & field team had a solid opening weekend to the spring track & field season at the Tribe Open on the campus of William & Mary. Juniors Elise Buffinton and Rachel Pena picked up where they left off at the end of the indoor season by winning their specialties.
Buffinton won the Pole Vault with an ECAC qualifying jump of 12' 3 1/2". The jump also bettered her school record by two inches. Pena, the reigning Patriot League Champion in the Hammer Throw, won the event by 24 feet, throwing 177' 2", good enough to be an ECAC qualifier.
The Men's side earned a win in the 4 x 100m Relay with a time of 42.65. Members included junior David Robinson, freshman Mike Smitelli, classmate Jordan Roses, and senior Nick Hepp.
The Women's team had some very strong performances across the board. Juniors Rose Willey and Allyx Hunsberger earned second-place finishes in the 3000m Steeplechase and Javelin, respectively. Willey ran a personal best of 11:09.44 in the Steeplechase, while Hunsberger threw 126' 9" in the Javelin. Senior Gwen Steckel, classmate Chelsea Marone, and freshman Stephanie Benko earned 3rd places finishes, respectively, in the Hammer Throw (150' 0"), 400m Hurdles (1:04.79), and the 3000m Steeplechase (11:14.86). Running the Steeplechase for the first time, Benko's time was the third fastest in school history.
The 4 x 400m Relay team of freshman Casey O'Brien, sophomore Haley Langton, Marone, and senior Megan Matusky added a fourth-place finish with a time of 3:58.97 while the 4 x 100m Relay team of freshman Erin Keen, sophomore Brittany Powell, O'Brien, and freshman Devin Smith added a fifth-place mark with a time of 48.64.
The Men's team also posted some outstanding performances. Sophomore Juannell Riley had a 22-foot personal best in the Hammer Throw, throwing a 169' 5" mark for second place. Senior Nick Orzol added a second-place finish in the Triple Jump at 44' 11 3/4".
The Men's 4 x 400m Relay team of senior Ryan McVeigh, freshman Jarrel Bobb, junior Tim Shaw, and classmate Nicolas Marinaro finished third at 3:23.06. Freshman Colton Mitchell was fourth in the Pole Vault (14' 3 1/4") while freshman Thomas Day was fourth in the 3000m Steeplechase at 9:52.14. Junior Mac Maguire added a fifth-place finish in the Hammer Throw (154' 9"), while sophomore Alex Van Hoof had an 11-foot personal best in the Javelin with a throw of 175' 4" for fifth place.
Next up for the Leopards is the lone home event on the outdoor schedule, the 7-Way Meet, on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.
