2008 Woodie Awards
Track stars keep stride
Zamir Ahmed
Issue date: 1/27/05 Section: Sports
The Middlebury men's and women's indoor track teams recently completed a busy week, competing in three separate meets throughout the region. The team performed well in each meet, gaining valuable experience for the rest of the year and getting the opportunity to size themselves up against the rest of their NESCAC competition.
The team first traveled to Wesleyan College on Jan. 15 to participate in the Wesleyan Invitational. Against tough competition, Neiman Groce '07 won the men's only individual victory, clinching the long jump title with a jump of 20 feet- 4 1/4 inches. Kevin Bright '06, an All-American in outdoor track, also had a good meet for the Panthers. Bright finished fourth in the 200m with a time of 23.54 seconds and second in the 400m, just beating out first-year teammate Patrick Swan by .02 seconds.
For the women's squad, Sarah Berkowitz '05 won the pole vault, clearing a height of 9 feet- 6 inches. The relay teams also added impressive victories for the Panthers. The 4x200m team of Berkowitz, Erin Oliver '07, Elysian McNiff '08 and Lizz Huntley '08 won the event with a time of 1:53.78. The 4x400m team of Melissa Thacker '05, Alice Flanders '07, Jessie Evangelista '08 and Heather Bessette '08 won also their event with a time of 4:19.80.
Since there was no team scoring at the meet, the Panthers used the opportunity to prepare themselves for future meets. Said co-captain Thacker, "We used this meet to provide a foundation for the spring season and to stay in shape for the year."
On Jan. 19 the teams traveled to Burlington to compete against the University of Vermont and St. Michael's College. The men's team, competing without their distance runners, fell short against the Catamounts, losing 69-50. The women's squad performed admirably but was alsoovermatched by a strong UVM team 97-30.
For the women, Huntley had the Panthers' only victory, claiming first in the long jump with a mark of 15 feet- 7 3/4 inches. Another bright spot for the women was a second-place finish in the pentathlon by first-year Meredith Downing, who led in the event for most of the meet. Said Coach Martin Beatty of Downing, "It was an impressive performance, especially for a freshman because of the different techniques one has to master."
The team first traveled to Wesleyan College on Jan. 15 to participate in the Wesleyan Invitational. Against tough competition, Neiman Groce '07 won the men's only individual victory, clinching the long jump title with a jump of 20 feet- 4 1/4 inches. Kevin Bright '06, an All-American in outdoor track, also had a good meet for the Panthers. Bright finished fourth in the 200m with a time of 23.54 seconds and second in the 400m, just beating out first-year teammate Patrick Swan by .02 seconds.
For the women's squad, Sarah Berkowitz '05 won the pole vault, clearing a height of 9 feet- 6 inches. The relay teams also added impressive victories for the Panthers. The 4x200m team of Berkowitz, Erin Oliver '07, Elysian McNiff '08 and Lizz Huntley '08 won the event with a time of 1:53.78. The 4x400m team of Melissa Thacker '05, Alice Flanders '07, Jessie Evangelista '08 and Heather Bessette '08 won also their event with a time of 4:19.80.
Since there was no team scoring at the meet, the Panthers used the opportunity to prepare themselves for future meets. Said co-captain Thacker, "We used this meet to provide a foundation for the spring season and to stay in shape for the year."
On Jan. 19 the teams traveled to Burlington to compete against the University of Vermont and St. Michael's College. The men's team, competing without their distance runners, fell short against the Catamounts, losing 69-50. The women's squad performed admirably but was alsoovermatched by a strong UVM team 97-30.
For the women, Huntley had the Panthers' only victory, claiming first in the long jump with a mark of 15 feet- 7 3/4 inches. Another bright spot for the women was a second-place finish in the pentathlon by first-year Meredith Downing, who led in the event for most of the meet. Said Coach Martin Beatty of Downing, "It was an impressive performance, especially for a freshman because of the different techniques one has to master."