April 26, 2009

MEN'S 4X400 SETS SCHOOL RECORD AT BROWN SPRINGTIME INVITE;
MEN'S RESULTS /  WOMEN'S RESULTS  

Junior Alex Engel had a huge day at Brown on Sunday as the junior helped the men's 4x400m relay to a first-place finish in the fastest time in school history. (Bryant Sports Info photo)

 PROVIDENCE, R.I. - It's been a goal they've had their eyes set on for quite some time and now the men's 4x400 meter relay team can say they are the fastest in school history. 

The quartet of Mike DiBella (Upper Saddle River, NJ), Alex Engel (Spencer, MA), Andrew Fitzgerald (New Hartford, CT) and Tom O'Connor (Westwood, MA) eclipsed the two year old record with a time of 3:16.59 at the Brown University Springtime Invitational.

The relay team finished first overall in the event, edging out Providence College which finished in 3:17.11. Engel was part of the previous school mark as a freshman in 2007.  That relay team, anchored by former standout Hafiz Greigre, posted a time of 3:17.65 at the New England Championships.

Perhaps it was the near-perfect temperatures at Brown Stadium.  Earlier in the meet, Engel continued with his outstanding season by capturing first-place in the men's 400 meter dash. In addition to being a part of the historic relay squad, the junior crossed the line first with a time of 48.09 seconds. O'Connor was second in the 400 meters in 49.05 while DiBella placed fifth in 49.69, but it was only just a warm-up for things to come later on in the 4x400.

Other highlights on the day was a fifth-place finish in the men's 5000 meters by Dan Gehen (Mansfield, MA).  The senior finish in 16:51.20.  John Mitton (North Reading, MA) was ninth in the 1500m in 4:00.03 while freshman Drew Clark (Hopkinson, MA) was fourth in the 800 meters in a personal-best time of 1:55.53.  O'Connor had a busy day as the sophomore took home third-place in the men's 200 meters in a personal-best time of 22.18 seconds.

On the women's side, senior Casey Fenwick (Wayland, MA) captured 10th-place in the women's 5,000 meters in 19:46.35 while classmate Justine Douvadjian (Andover, MA) placed 15th in the 400 meter dash in a season-best time of 1:01.16.   Teammate Katie Pelletier (Berwick, ME) was 19th in the 400m in 1:02.70. 

Junior Stephanie Kirk (Pompton Lakes, NJ) was 13th in the women's 100 meters in 16.80 seconds. 

The men's and women's teams will next compete at the New England Championships May 7-9 at the University of Massachusetts.