The Rensselaer men’s and women’s indoor track and field squads opened their season with a successful showing in Williamstown, Mass. against host school Williams College and cross-town rival Union, Saturday, January 15.
Joe Otto led the Engineers on the men’s side taking first place in the 1000-meter with a time of 2:39.55 and winning the 1500-meter in 4:14.62. Four other men took top spots at the meet for RPI. Carl Hartford finished first in the 55-meter hurdles, Jason Langley won the pole vault, and Corey McCormick and Lance Chase took first and second place in the weight throw with tosses of 14.18 and 14.06 meters, respectively.
Rensselaer’s success was limited on the women’s side, but the Engineers did well in several events, particularly the pole vault. Heather Maffei took the events top spot with a jump of 2.28 meters while teammates Katie Hammond and Margaret Converse finished tied for in second with vaults of 2.13. Jennifer Dias also had a solid day taking second in the 300-meter and third in the 500-meter sprints.
The Liberty League recognized Otto, McCormick, and Dias with the league’s first weekly awards of the young track season. Otto was selected men’s Co-Track Performer of the Week, McCormick received the men’s Field Performer of the Week award, and Dias brought home the women’s Track Performer of the Week honors.
The Engineers’ next meet will be this Saturday when Rensselaer will travel to MIT to take on the Cambridge, Mass. version of the Engineers.
Historic hoops squad returns
RPI will welcome back its most successful basketball team in school history this Saturday at the men’s basketball team’s contest with St. Lawrence. The 1969-1970 squad won a total of 18 games and suffered just five losses in 23 games.
“It is very exciting to have that team back,” current Rensselaer head coach Mike Griffin said. “That was a group that epitomized team play and it showed in the success they had on the court.”
The then RPI Engineers won the RIT Tournament, took second at the Capital District Tournament, and took first in the Independent Colleges Athletic Conference Championship (ICAC). The team was coached by Bill Kalbaugh who posted a 289 wins in 30 season at the helm for Rensselaer.
