New England Championships, Wesleyan Invitational ahead for Track & Field

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Several members of the Bryant University track & field team heads to the NEICAAA Championships in Boston this weekend, while the rest of the team will head to the Wesleyan Invitational in Middletown, Connecticut.

"This weekend kick starts our final build up towards the NEC Indoor Championships," Bryant Director of Track & Field Mitchell Switzer said. "My hope is that the athletes use these next couple meets to learn and build from the first half of our Indoor season. The NEICAAA Meet was moved earlier this season, and even with the change, we had a large number of athletes qualify for the meet. The rest of the team will get the opportunity to compete at Wesleyan, where I am expecting to see them start to put the pieces together and really perform towards a high level."

The NEICAAA Championships are divided into two days beginning Friday. Alexandra Watts (Clinton, Conn.) will compete in the pole vault in Friday's events, as will Jacklyn Sullivan (Plymouth, Mass.) in the 800 meter and Olivia Weiss (Newton, N.J.) in the 1000 meter runs. Adam Winiarz (Norton, Mass.) qualified for the 200-meter dash and will enter the event after posting a time of 22.43 seconds last week in Boston. Sophomore Emily Cluck (Johnson City, N.Y.) will run in the 400-meter dash, seeded third overall with a time of 57.35 which she accomplished at last week's Boston University Terrier Classic.

Saturday will see Chris Fasano (Lake Grove, N.Y.) participate in the shot put. Ryan Poholek (North Attleboro, Mass.) and Jordan Dagrin (Providence, R.I.) will each run in the mile, with Poholek's qualifying time of 4:11.55 seeding him third of the 24 entrees into the event. Evan Smith (Chester, Conn.) will run in the 60-meter dash and Christopher Wrenn (Norton, Mass.) will enter the 200-meter run. On the women's side, senior Melissa Lodge (Hopkinton, Mass.) is seeded fifth among entrants into the mile, running a time of 4:58.77 at the Terrier Classic.

Saturday will also see most of the team head to Middletown, Connecticut, to participate in the Wesleyan Invitational. Winiarz will compete in the 60-meter dash, joined by teammate Andrew Franco (Ridgefield, Conn.). Watts will also be competing both days, entering the pole vault at the Wesleyan Invite.

Junior Shirley Carrington (Dorchester, Mass.) is scheduled to participate in four events in the meet: the long jump, the triple jump and the 200 meter and 60-meter dashes. Rebecca Varney (East Longmeadow, Mass.) will enter two events, the high jump and 60-meter hurdles.

Freshman Ryan Dumont is also scheduled for a busy day, entering the 60-meter hurdles, the 4x400 relay, high jump and triple jump events. James Giumetti (Duxbury, Mass.) is slated to enter two events (long jump and triple jump), as is David Lackard (Framingham, Mass.) (weight throw and triple jump).