In an impressive weekend performance that saw RPI claim three state titles, the men’s indoor track & field team placed third in the 2009 New York State Collegiate Championship, while the women’s team placed fourth in a field of nine teams. The event was ultimately won by St. Lawrence University on the men’s side and Ithaca College on the women’s.
Junior Justin Metzger took home the pole vaulting crown with an NCAA Provisional Height of 4.68 meters. Classmate Casey Lewis also placed third in the event with a height of 4.30 meters.
Competing in two events, junior Kyle Barden placed top marks in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.22 seconds, and also placed third in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.09 seconds.
Closing out the state titles claimed by the Engineers, sophomore Alec Marshall won the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.84 seconds.
Although no members of the women’s team finished first in an event, many had solid finishes in their respective competitions. The 4x200 relay team—consisting of senior Kristiina Baker, juniors Cassie Fortini and Rachel Guillot, and freshman Elise DeSimone—placed second with a time of 4:08.35. In the triple jump, freshman Lindsey Dubas took sixth place with a distance of 10.56 meters, and junior Lauren Brown placed second in the 1,000-meter run, posting a time of 3:11.40.
Barden’s performance earned him his third overall—and second straight—Liberty League Track Performer of the Week.
Next weekend, select members of the indoor track & field team will be competing in the ECAC Championships, which will be held March 6–7 at Tufts University in Boston.
