By TORI ADDISON
Staff Writer
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The track and field program was busy competing last week as members not only participated in the Penn Relays, but also the Capital District Classic. Both events concluded with excellent performances by members of both the men and women’s track teams.
Eleven members of the track and field teams were selected to represent Saint Rose at the 120th Penn Relay Carnival, which was held at the University of Philadelphia last Thursday and Friday. The match is the largest in the world as it features athletes from all levels of competition. Those athletes who competed in this year’s relay were from a total of sixty different countries. The Penn Relay is also the oldest relay carnival in the world.
Those members selected from the women’s team included seniors Bridget Buckley, Soroya Hudson, and Jessica Razy as well as junior Bianca Jordan and freshmen Alicia Bousa and Amber Goodspeed. Saint Rose would finish 75th with a time of 4:02.12 in the women’s 4×400-meter relay, setting a school record. Also, the 4×100-meter team placed 85th with a time of 50.77. The group of Bousa, Buckley, Jordan, and Razy would go on to set a second school record as they ran the 4×200 relay with a time of 1.45.99 and landed in 51st place. A member of the team also placed in the triple jump event as Hudson leaped 11.57 meters to earn 23rd place.
The men’s team was also represented at the Penn Relays as five members were selected to participate. Seniors Howard DeCosta, Clive Ricketts and juniors Chris Miller and Kyle Thompson as well as sophomore Michael Benson were those chosen to represent Saint Rose at the event. Those who participated from the men’s team also succeeded as the 4×100-meter relay team finished 79th with a time of 44.18 while the 4×200-meter relay team finished 48th with a time of 1:33.94.
Furthermore, all members of the men and women’s track and field teams returned to the track on Saturday to compete in the Capital District Classic at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Sophomore Zach Noll and senior Howard DeCosta were among two of the members who broke school records. Other notable performances include Kyle Thompson running a 110-meter hurdle to end in fourth place and also Michael Benson whose long jump was recorded at 6.54-meters.
The women’s team also continued to excel as Buckley broke the record for the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.19. Also, Razy took first place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.75. Hudson continued to impress as she earned second-place in the triple jump and third-place in the high jump. Furthermore, Bousa came in third place after she running the 200 and 400-meter dashes
Next, the track and field teams will look forward to preparing for the Northeast-10 Conference Championships. The event will take place next Friday and Saturday at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.
