Tufts edges Panthers for second place at NESCACs

Author: David Zhou

This past Saturday, the Middlebury College track and field teams competed in the 2008 NESCAC Championships at Hamilton College. The men had a good showing and came in seventh overall, while the women, who for a while had held the lead in the 10-school meet, finished just half-a-point behind the second-place Tufts University, with an overall team score of 119.50. Four Panthers captured championship victories, and many others set personal records.

Men's co-captain Jimmy Butcher '08 notched an early win in the 10,000m with a time of 32:06.55. Butcher's co-captain, Ian O'Reilly '08, later gutted out a tough home stretch to finish eighth in the 800m.

"Our captains are all terrific leaders," said Coach Martin Beatty, "and the character of the team reflects their leadership."

On the other hand, the Middlebury men are a relatively young team and the first-years form its backbone. These rookies rose to the occasion and turned in stellar performances. Javelin thrower Nicholas Plugis '11 grabbed third place with an incredible toss that improved his personal record by close to 15 feet. Abishek Sripad '11 became one of Middlebury's two top-five finishers in the pole vault, placing third, just ahead of Patrick Sedney '08 in fourth. The 4×400 meter relay team comprised of Sean Maye '11, Joseph Baisch '11, Micah Wood '10 and Ben Fowler '09 also finished fourth.

The same combination of star power and young blood helped to fuel the women's team. Senior Jennifer Currie threw the hammer 159'10" deep down the field to win the NESCAC title, and Nicole Dvorak '11 and Sarah Wilson '08 claimed first and second places in the pole vault. Looking to match their achievements, Kelley Coughlan '09 and Elizabeth Faust '11 performed incredibly in the high jump, finishing second and fourth, respectively. The duo also placed fourth and fifth in the triple jump. The Middlebury women's strength in the field events was so dominating that the team temporarily pulled ahead of eventual champion Williams College and Tufts University.

On the track, competition was as fierce as ever. Alexandra Krieg '09, an All-American in this year's NCAA indoor track championships, demonstrated her marvelous talent once again in the 5,000-meter race, beating the runner-up by 35 seconds. Her teammates also stepped up. Hannah Meier '11 raced the 10K for the first time and finished fourth. Other notable performances came from Anna Chavis '08 and Erin Toner '11, who both went under 5:00 in the 1,500m and set personal bests. Ceara Danaher's '08 third-place finish in the 3000-meter steeplechase was particularly big. Danaher had been injured on and off for the past two years and had been unable to run steeple since she was a first-year, when she set a school record. Now, she not only came back to the event, but also broke her previous record.

Wood and Anjuli Demers '10 deserve special recognition. The two showcased their versatility by participating and scoring in four different events, including the 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relays. They contributed a chunk of points to the team score.

"Overall it was a fun and exciting meet," said Krieg,."It was a beautiful day, lots of people ran well and had personal bests and everyone supported each other's events."

"We are without a doubt the most spirited team at the Championships," said Beatty. He also praised the tremendous growth the team has undergone since the spring break trip to California. "We were at a developmental point in California… now [we] are at a totally different place."

Unfortunately, the track men and women do not have the luxury to kick back their feet and relax after the NESCACs. Three more meets await them in May, before the grand finale at the NCAA Championships. At the moment, the Panthers are preparing for the Division III New England Championships this weekend.