Robertson leads Bulldogs at NEC
Track & Field opens at conference championships
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's and women's track & field teams opened the 2011 Northeast Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships Saturday in style with sophomore distance runner Megan Robertson (Sewell, N.J.) giving the Bulldogs a point in the very first track event of the day. The two-day championships are taking place at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J. and will conclude Sunday. The host Hawks enter the weekend looking to defend their men's and women's 2010 conference titles.
But the Bulldogs wasted little time getting on the scoreboard right off the bat. Running the 10,000 meters for the first time, Robertson placed eighth overall in the event with a time a 39 minutes, 14.14 seconds. Monmouth's Jennifer Nelson, running on her home track, placed first overall in 36:54.70.
Other highlights of the opening day include a personal-best 58.84 in the 400 meters by Sherika Nicholas (East Patchogue, N.Y.) who placed second in her heat and 10th overall in the trials. Thrower Katelyn Kelleher (Wrentham, Mass.) finished fourth in the first flight of the discus with a person-best throw of 118 feet, 8 inches. The freshman would later place 20th in the javelin with a throw of 71-5. Teammate Allison Pavao (Swansea, Mass.) earned an 11th place finish in the javelin with a mark of 108-7.
On the men's side, the Bulldogs were led by standout middle distance runners Scott Twardowski (Rehoboth, Mass.) and Ryan Busby (Derry, N.H.). The tandem ran extremely well in the 1,500 meters with Twardowski placing first in his heat in a time of 4:01.60 to earn a spot in Sunday's final. Busby will join his teammate in the finals after running a new personal-best time of 3:58.30, eclipsing his previous best time of 4:00.76 set at last year's conference championships in Maryland, to advance.
Running alongside Twardowski in the first saw Ben Polichronopolous (Berwick, Maine) finish sixth in a personal-best 4:07.70, and Kenny Rayner (Acton, Mass.) was right behind in seventh in a best time of 4:11.74.
Joe Pugliano (West Springfield, Mass.) had a busy day Saturday for the Bulldogs. The sophomore placed third in his heat in a new personal time of 49.99 and later took third in his heat (13th overall) in the men's 200 meters in another best time of 22.55 seconds.
Senior Mike DiBella (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) was fourth in his heat in the 400 meters in 50.05.
Anthony Monteiro (Leominster, Mass.) placed fifth in the first heat of the 400 hurdles, (eleventh overall), in a new personal-best time of 55.87 seconds. The school record holder in the 110 meter hurdles did not finish in the event.
Complete results and live scoring