What. A. Meet.
With UCONN Club athletes in almost every event at the Boston University opener, UCCTF did itself more than proud. Competing against some strong D1 athletes, we more than held our own. With 19 club records, it was an opener to remember.
Sprinters
The 60mH athletes were the first on the straightaway, and it was as explosive as expected. MJ DeVivo (10.46) competed well with her first showing at this event. Both Eric Meade (8.97) and Mitchell Cohen (9.76) made it into the final, improving on their efforts in the heat when it mattered most.
In the 60m flat, the women were up first, and every single athlete secured a PR. Alanna Smith (8.19) had the pick of the bunch, while Michelle Scott (8.22) was hot on her heels. Makaela Scott (8.34), Kayla Smith (8.49) and April Davis (8.46) all also broke the 8.50 barrier. Alanna, Michelle and Makaela also secured the new top three spots at the top of the UCCTF all time 60m rankings. Alexandria Black (8.75), Ainsley Pattie (9.06) and Tanya Charles (10.60) round off what is a very impressive short sprint group for the women, that will look to build on a great start to the season.
On the men’s side, it was president Joe Rychwalski (7.23) who came through with the fastest time of the day, along with a PR. Jon Garcia (7.28), Oscar Frost (7.31) and Brandon Drummond (7.35) will look to challenge his supremacy in the coming meets. Tyler Strong (7.55) and Manny Sanchez Frias (7.65) were not far behind, and Paul Ponthempilly (7.94) was able to break the 8 second barrier for the first time. Justin Carroll (8.03) and Christian Hade (8.21) were also able to secure PRs, and are hungry for more.
In the 200m, Michelle Scott (27.79), MJ DeVivo (27.80) and Alanna Smith (26.85) were almost inseparable, with bragging rights still on the table for the taking. As in the 60, they all made their way into the top three all time performances in this event indoors. Alexandria Black (29.01) and Ainsley Pattie (30.78) also had great showings on their first ever performances at this distance. The 200m on the men’s side saw Ameen Parks (22.66) and Ian Lizzano (22.62) break the club record mere moments apart from each other. Max Raha (23.11) was also moving extremely well, with Jon Garcia (23.56) and Brandon Drummond (23.58) not far behind. Flynn McGinnis (25.22) had a huge PR, as did Justin Carroll (25.36).
The 300m saw a very exciting clash, with three UCCTF stalwarts competing in the same heat. Nick Sivo (34.96) ran one of the most dominant races of the day, but was closely followed by Joe Rychwalski (36.13) and Jaden Astle (36.10).
The 400m also had numerous highlights, with treasurer James Ballesteros (51.90) securing a very impressive PR. It is going to be hard to mention UCCTF 400m performances without mentioning Nikolai James. The freshman secured a 50.81 clocking, and only seems to be getting started. Jonathan Gulish (53.60) and Ross Relator (53.41) are also shaping up to be an exciting duel for the season ahead. Celestine Walliser (65.65) also came through with a PR, showing signs of a season to remember.
In a straddle event between the sprints and mid distance, Nick Sivo (1:29.18) and Jacob Grose (1:42.34) had great showings in the 600m.
Mid Distance
The women’s 800m saw one of the best races of the day between UCCTF athletes. Giuliana Vinces (2:42.85) and Brooke Sheehan (2:42.97) went blow-for-blow right to the line. Although Giuliana won out this time, Brooke will be back with a vengeance in the new year. Ava Landis (3:06.15) also had a great run, with it being the first of many for her at this distance. Mid D chair Kosta Boskovic (2:11.42) was the pick of the bunch for the boys. Nick Martin (2:16.42) and Elliot Bello (2:19.56) were also very impressive, with more to come in the new year from the pair.
Joe Ham (2:48.72) was the only athlete who competed in the 1,000m, and he was the only one we needed. With Mid D’s first club record of the year. Joe is still fresh from the cross-country season, so his UCCTF track career is still young.
The mile was more prolific for the club, with five men competing. Joe Ham (4:47.63) came home with the bragging rights, with Kosta Boskovic (4:57.39) and Garrett Gasparino (4:57.56) also breaking the 5 minute barrier. Nick Martin (5:02.00) and Nicholas Hawe (5:06.55) finished ahead of Tommy Purcell (5:16.69), rounding off a great performance from the mid D squad.
Throws
The men’s shot put was the most UCCTF heavy event of the day, with 13 athletes competing. A highlight was Raymond Lara’s 12.51m effort, securing him second on the all-time UCCTF performances list. Him and current record holder Colton Lavoie will be a good matchup to keep an eye on this season. Secretary Chase Mack (10.52), Ashiespal Bharara (10.25), Alex Gould (10.32) and Nick Mirabilio Mulhall (10.18) were all able to get in the double digits, showing the depth in this throwing group. Dan McKeon (8.19), Dante Gigliotti (9.26), Joe Sarno (9.60), Jack Amatrudo (7.59), Michael Fullman (9.20) and Barry Held (7.97) also all exceeded expectations, with a number of them achieving PRs.
In the women’s shot put, Clarissa Nock (12.04) had a great showing to start the season, finishing in a very strong position overall. Ameya Arun (8.95) and Natalia Donlon (8.52) both managed PRs, while Caley Neville (6.20) and Kathleen Dolan (9.30) will see their opening marks as indicators of a great season to come.
Colton Lavoie (9.55) and Alex Gould (9.78) both improved hugely on their personal bests in the weight throw, and will be pushing each other to go even further towards Jacob O’Reilly’s seemingly untouchable record in this event. Throwing chair Ameya Arun (8.37m) also threw extremely well in this event, securing a new PR by over a meter.
Jumps
In the men’s triple jump and high jump, it was Eric Meade and Tyler Doiron who traded blows, and club records. In the high jump, Eric (1.85m) bested the previous record, but it was ultimately Tyler (1.90m) who ultimately edged him out. This means that Tyler currently holds the record, but that record stands at Eric’s PR, so this will be an interesting battle through the season. In the triple jump, Tyler (13.56) was again imperious, while Eric (13.00m) jumped just short of a PR. Christo Jamo (12.80m) also had a very impressive showing, with a huge PR. April Davis (9.88) on the women’s side jumped very well in difficult conditions, and a PR in the near future seems set for her.
The UCCTF pole vault club has seen a drastic growth this year, with an impressive number of athletes competing in the event. Pole vault president Kaelyn Serra (2.65m) jumped a PR for the women’s side, showing that she is ready to have a breakout season in the pole vault. On the men’s side, Roberto D’Onofrio matched his PR of 3.20m, again showing signs of great things to come. Bennett LaBree said that his practice jumps were some of his best, so it was a shame that the club record holder sustained an upper leg injury during the competition.
Relays
The relays are always some of the most exciting events of the schedule, and these certainly delivered. The super squad of Ameen Parks, Joe Rychwalski, Jaden Astle and Nikolai James took home the club record in the men’s 4x400, clocking in at a blistering 3:21.54. All the athletes in the squad performed incredibly well, fending off some strong opposition to finish strongly in their heat. The secondary squad of Ross Relator, James Ballesteros, Jonathan Gulish and late addition Justin Carroll also had a great clocking of 3:35.22. With numerous injuries, resulting in James running with calf issues, the secondary squad made the club proud. On the women’s side, Kayla Smith, Alanna Smith, Celestine Walliser and April Davis came through with a great 4:32.47 clocking. Under pressure with injuries and tired legs, it was a fantastic showing that put a stamp on the UCCTF performances throughout the day.
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As expected, it was a great day to be a UCCTF member. The level of dedication over the past few months finally came to fruition, and our claim to be able to hang with the big players is no longer just a claim. Don’t expect us to bunker down for winter, as UCCTF will be coming back stronger and faster than ever.
A special thank you also goes to Ava Buckmir and Stephen Duhamel, who were unable to compete due to injury and sickness, but were still incredibly valuable on the day. Their help with social media coverage and admin helped out athletes only worry about their performances, ensuring that they could perform as well as possible. Also a big thank you to Ameya Arun for taking amazing pictures on meet day, as always.
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