T&F opens spring season Saturday

BULLDOGS OPEN SPRING SEASON AT UCONN SPRING INVITE SATURDAY

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After a month break from competition, the Bryant University men's and women's track and field teams begin their outdoor season this Saturday, March 31 at the UCONN Spring Invite in Storrs, Conn.

The Bulldogs put together a strong showing during the indoor season and will be looking to continue to improve as they head outside. Saturday's meet conditions will not be the most favorable either, with rain and snow showers a possibility.

During the indoor season, the Black and Gold saw several athletes excel. In fact, the Bulldogs set 10 new school records during the winter and qualified seven individual for the New England Championships. Seniors Ryan Busby (Derry, N.H.), Anthony Monteiro (Leominster, Mass.), Kenneth Rayner (Acton, Mass.) and Ben Polichronopoulos (South Berwick, Maine), graduate student Scott Twardowski (Rehoboth, Mass.) and freshmen Kara Walsh (Waltham, Mass.) and Brooke Tomasetti (Waterford, Conn.) all represented the Black and Gold.

Busby, Monteiro, Rayner and Polichronopoulos will be competing in their final season of track and field this spring and will be looking to build off their performances from the winter. Michael Arons (West Hartford, Conn.) joined Busby, Polichronopoulos and Twardowski to set a program record in the distance medley relay at the NEC Championships. The school record-holder in both the 3000m and 5000m, Twardowski finished his eligibility in the winter and will not be able to compete this spring.

Monteiro broke the school record in the 60m high hurdles during the winter and holds the program mark in the 110m high hurdles outdoors. He just missed the finals cut in the 60m hurdles at the NEC Championships. Monteiro also helped the 4x400 relay team to a sixth-place finish at last year's NEC Outdoor Championships.

On the women's side, the Bulldogs will look to their distance team to carry the load in the spring. Sophomore Eimear Black (Glengormley, Ireland) will join Walsh, Tomasetti to give the Bulldogs a formidable distance team. The three, along with junior Amanda Dilley (Bridgewater, Mass.), set the program record in the distance medley relay and finished third at the NEC Championships.

The Bulldogs will also look to freshman Jasmine Bryant (Salem, Mass.) to continue her stellar rookie campaign. She set school records in the 55m and 60m high hurdles over the winter and will have her eyes set on 100m and 400m hurdle records this spring.

Saturday's meet opens the 2012 outdoor season that includes four more weekends of competition prior to the NEC Championships and the New England Championships in May.