As the warmer weather approaches, the RPI track team has begun transitioning to their outdoor season of competition. With all of the indoor championships finally complete, the athletes are now preparing to improve their performances once again in the new season.
Over the spring break week, the team traveled to Orlando, Fla. for a chance to focus on training in the warm weather while taking a break from the stresses of school. At the end of the week, the team competed in the Disney Relays held at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex on March 12 and 13.
At the meet, the men’s team captured sixth place among the ten competing teams with a total of 64 points. The men had relay teams scoring in the 400m relay, 1600m relay, the sprint medley, and distance medley races.
Okechuku Ekwuabu also placed for the team in the running events with an eighth place finish in the 110m hurdles in the time of 17.07, and Erik Sari placed in the 400m hurdles with 59.03.
Many points were contributed by athletes scoring in field events as well. Ekwuabu scored a second time in the long jump with 5.71m, and in the pole vault Jason Langly and Jason Legault tied for fifth place with a height of 4.40m.
In the throwing events points were scored in several trials. RPI athletes suceeded in the shot put, javelin, and weight and hammer throws. The athletes placing in the top of their events included: Jack Miller, Lance Chase, Jeff Crannell, Jim Crannell, Jeremy Burnham, and Corey McCormack.
The women’s team placed eigth overall in the meet earning 35 points with contributions from events similar to the men’s. The women scored in both the 400m relay and the sprint medley. The 400m relay team, including Becky Lock, Jen Dias, Carol Scalice, and Cara Rosato took fifth place in the event but also set a new school record with the time of 51.49.
These same four athletes scored in their respective individual events as well. Lock placed sixth in the 100m hurdles and seventh in the 400m hurdles, Rosato placed third in the pole vault, Scalice placed sixith in the long jump, and Dias placed fourth in the 400m hurdles.
Additional scoring athletes included Lauren Carter who took sixth in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 13:20.33 and Heather Maffi who placed sixth in the javelin throw with a mark of 26.92m.
All of the athletes have now officially begun their outdoor training and will enjoy a weekend of rest before their first meet of the season as an entire team. The first meet will be a home meet, hosted by Rensselaer on Saturday March 27th, 2004 at the Harkness Track and Field at noon.
