Hayes defends her title, Bulldogs grab four medals on final day of NECs
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Junior Kristen Hayes (Menands, N.Y.) defended her title in the 400m hurdles and three others earned medals as the Bryant University track and field team wrapped up the most successful Northeast Conference Outdoor Championship meet in school history on Sunday in Emmitsburg, Md.
The Bulldog women scored 48 points and finished eighth, while the men also finished eighth with 29 points. Sacred Heart won the female team title and Central Connecticut repeated on the men's side.
One of the best 400 hurdlers in the region, Hayes defended her conference crown on Sunday. The top seed in the prelims, Hayes blew away the competition and shattered her own school record with a time of 1:00.63. She won the event by two seconds.
In addition, junior Annmarie Tuxbury (New Hartford, Conn.) earned her second silver medal of the weekend, sophomore Richard Landry (Holyoke, Mass.) earned his first-career medal and freshman MiaLynne Park (Jewett City, Conn.) matched her performance from the indoor championships with a bronze medal.
In the 3000m steeplechase, Tuxbury earned her second second-place finish of the weekend by shattering her own school record by over six seconds with a time of 10:59.41. Landry enjoyed a memorable afternoon as he ran to a third-place finish and a bronze medal in the 1500 with a time of 4:00.38. After earning a bronze in the winter, Park earned her second bronze with a third-place finish in the 400 on Sunday. She shattered a seven-year old school record in the process, finishing with a time of 56.99.
Top Performers:
Freshman Deion Raper (Brockton, Mass.) had a breakout performance for the Bulldogs in his first outdoor championships. He finished sixth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 56.34 and eighth in the 110m hurdles (15.34). Raper also helped the 4x100 and the 4x400 teams earn points with sixth and seventh place finishes.
Hayes Watson (Glastonbury, Conn.) tied his own school record in the pole vault and finished fourth with a jump of 4.40m.
Senior Martha Reynolds (London, England) wrapped up her collegiate career with a fifth-place finish in the 1500 (4:45.26).
Fellow senior Brooke Tomasetti (Waterford, Conn.) posted her best career finish in the 800, finishing sixth with a time of 2:20.12.
Freshman Justin Patterson (Marshfield, Mass.) scored in the 400, finishing eighth (50.24).
Russell Stevens (Colchester, Conn.) ran to an eighth-place finish in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 10:11.60
Adam Malone (Speonk, N.Y.) scored in the triple jump, finishing eighth with a jump of 13.85m.
Jonee Harrison (Dorchester, Mass.) finished eighth in the hammer with a throw of 45.80m.
Kelsey Charette (Somers, Conn.) finished seventh in the javelin with a throw of 34.94m.
Frankie Ray (Westport, Mass.) posted a big PR in the high jump with the fourth-highest jump in program history (1.85m).
Anthony Fratturelli (Leominster, Mass.) and Benjamin Jackson (Enosburg Falls, Vt.) both posted big PRs in the discus with throws of 38.26m and 35.61m.
Casey Mackisey (Warwick, R.I.) posted a PR in the hammer with a throw of 43.90m.
Brittany Sarza (Uxbridge, Mass.) posted a big PR in the 5K with a time of 18:38.37.
The women's 4x100 relay team set a school record with a time of 49.23.