Myriad of qualifications for men's track and field team

The regular track and field season concluded on Saturday with the "Last Chance" meet at the Gantcher Center. With the championship meets commencing this weekend, the men's track team came away from their final scheduled meet with several additional qualifying efforts to add to the season's haul.

Freshman Will Heitmann and junior Adrian Clarke both made 13 feet (3.96 meters) in the pole vault and qualified for this weekend's Div. III championships at Bowdoin. The pair joins freshman Seth LaPierre (4.96 meters), who had already qualified through to the ECAC's, to be held in early March. This gives the Jumbos' three pole-vaulters with championship qualification. With their current form, the duo of Heitmann and Clarke could also join LaPierre at the ECAC's.

"The vaulters had a really good meet," LaPierre said. "[Heitmann and Clarke] have got the height to qualify for the ECAC's. They've both improved a lot the last couple weeks."

LaPierre's season has been particularly impressive, considering he missed the first three meets of the season with a broken ankle.

"I always kept optimistic," LaPierre said. "It feels really good to qualify."

In the 1500m run, junior Peter Bromka ran a personal best 4:04.35, which should be good enough for a provisional standard at the Div. III championships. Senior tri-captain Adam Sharp also ran a team best 2:34.40 in the 1000, giving him four qualifying times, including the 1500, Mile and 800. The distance medley relay (DMR) team ran a 10:22.44 _ one of the top three or four times in New England _ giving it a strong position going into this weekend.

"Sharp will probably run the 1500-1000 double," coach Connie Putnam said. "It will work out quite nicely; we'll be able to run [freshman Kyle] Doran in the DMR. We basically came away with a great seed time in the DMR, that's what we wanted."

Sophomore Ray Carre (50.19 seconds) knocked one tenth of a second off of his Div. I 400 meter dash qualification time. Freshman Michael Cummings (8:53.38) also improved on his 3000 qualification time, slicing off almost two seconds.

Fellow freshman Pat Mahoney (1:24.08), running the 600 meter dash for the first time this season, made provisional standard for the Div. III's. It was the third fastest time of the season for the Jumbos, behind freshman Shawn Hansberry (school record of 1:22.49) and senior Bryant Coen (1:23.17).

With many athletes already qualified for championship meets, Putnam entered runners in other events in an attempt to gain additional qualifications. In the 800, Hansberry (2:00.80) led a field of four Jumbos trying to join Sharp in the event. While all four were unsuccessful, Putnam attributed the result to the entire team's mindset with the championships approaching.

"Things didn't work out as good as I'd hoped [in the 800]," Putnam said. "Overall, I think the guys were in two minds. In one mind they were trying to go a little faster, but in the other mind they were trying to stay healthy."

Sophomore Dan March (14.14 meters) set a personal record in the weight throw, as did freshmen Jason Galvin (12.64m) and Brandon Udelhofen (12.07m). March will be entered in the championships provisionally for certain, according to Putnam, although the team does not know for sure whether he will be able to compete. That will be determined by the rest of the field.

Sophomore Nate Thompson (6.68 meters) improved his ECAC-qualifying long jump mark by six centimeters. Rated by Putnam as one of the top five or six long jumpers in New England, Thompson also won the triple jump and finished second behind senior tri-captain Bryan Pitko (7.75 seconds) in the 55 meter hurdles. Thompson's triple jump mark (12.57m) was not enough to qualify, however he will still be heading to the Div. I's in the hurdles.

"It's a really cool meet to go to for the experience. To be able to compete with athletes of that caliber is really cool," Thompson said. "The season's gone really well so far for us. We've come a long way. We've had a few injuries, but we've pulled through because a lot of people have stepped up."