SAINTS STAY IN STRIDE AT MIT SPRING INVITE

SAINTS STAY IN STRIDE AT MIT SPRING INVITE

April 16, 2011

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Emmanuel College Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Teams traveled to Cambridge to compete in the MIT Spring Invitational on Saturday afternoon. With just two meets left before the New England Division III Championships, the teams making their final regular season push.

"We had some good performances under lousy conditions," said Head Coach Tony DaRocha. Sixteen athletes and relay teams placed in the top six in their events, and another five program-records were set. Only in mid-April, the teams are already adding exclamation points to their season.

Junior team captain Stephen Armstrong (Revere, Mass.) competed in the infamous 10k race, completing it in 34:25.24, fast enough for sixth place overall. Hoping for better conditions next week, he aims to get his time under 34 minutes to qualify for New England D-IIIs. In the men's 4x800 meter relay, the four athletes raced to a 3rd place finish overall with a time of 8:55.88. The team was made up of leadoff runner Abdi Ibrahim (East Boston, Mass.), Mark Poirot (Adams, Mass.), John Hieber (Peabody, Mass.) and anchor Patrick Callan (Pawling, Mass.).

The women's team was led by junior Katasi Kulubya (Anaheim, Calif.) and freshman Lauren Atkins (Saugus, Mass.). The duo ran 3rd and 4th in the 4x100 meter relay, placing third, and earning a new school record and a trip to NE D-IIIs with teammates Nathalie Victoria (Brockton, Mass.) and Irene Limlengco (Brookline, Mass.).

Individually, Kulubya broke her own school record in the 200 meters, placing 5th with a time of 27.29, and another 5th place finish in the 400 meters, posting 61.93. Atkins lit up the track during the 100 meter dash, placing third with a 12.73. Even more impressive, she shattered a school record, and qualified for not only NE-DIIIs, but the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships as well. She could have called it quits for the day, but instead competed in the long and high jumps, placing 6th in the long jump.

The women's 4x800 meters etched their name into the record books, completing a 5th place finishing time of 11:03.34. Led off by Julie Young (Derry, N.H.), she passed the baton on to Joslyn DelSignore (Taunton, Mass.), Danielle Martin (York, Me.) and senior anchor Maureen Kellett (Westborough, Mass.). Freshman Kelly Ulf (Lunenburg, Mass.) set a school record and qualified for NE D-IIIs in the triple jump, launching herself to a distance of 33'8.50".

Next Satuday, April 23rd, the teams with travel south to New London, Connecticut to compete in the Connecticut College Silfen Invitational.