Championship season continues as T&F heads to Landover, Md., for NECs
Championship Headquarters: Men | Women
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University track and field teams head to Landover, Md., this weekend for the Northeast Conference Championships. The meet will be held on Saturday and Sunday and is hosted by Mount St. Mary's.
The Bulldog men were picked to finish eighth, while the women were picked ninth in the preseason poll.
Entering the weekend, the Black and Gold are enjoying one of the most successful track seasons in program history. They have already recorded 53 top 10 times in program history, seven school records and nine have qualified for postseason competition.
On the men's side:
Leading the way for the men this weekend will be sophomore pole vaulter Hayes Watson (Glastonbury, Conn.). Bryant's record holder in the event after posting a height of 4.55m, Watson is currently in fourth among NEC vaulters heading into the championships.
In the sprints, Nicholas Douglas (Shelton, Conn.) and Justin Patterson will represent the Bulldogs in the 400. Both entered Bryant's all-time top 10 this season and will also be a part of the 4x400 relay team. Also on that team will be freshman Deion Raper (Brockton, Mass.). In addition to the 4x400, Raper will also compete in the 60m high hurdles and the 200. Raper posted a top-10 time of 8.70 earlier this season.
Bryant will also look to grab a significant amount of points in the distance events. Freshman Milan Duka (Belgrade, Serbia) will run the mile and enters the championships with the third-best time among NEC runners (4:20.21). Richard Landry (Holyoke, Mass.) will run the 3000 and enters the meet with the fifth-best time. Russell Stevens (Colchester, Conn.) will compete in the 5000 after recording the fifth-best time in the event during the season.
The Black and Gold's two triple jumpers also have a chance to score considerable points this weekend. Kehma Johnson (Milford, Mass.) set the school record in the triple jump in his first collegiate meet and enters the championships rated fourth with a distance of 14.26m. Adam Malone (Speonk, N.Y.) has found success in the triple jump in each of his first two seasons and enters this weekend with the seventh-best mark.
On the women's side:
Junior Annmarie Tuxbury (New Hartford, Conn.) will lead the Bulldogs on the women's side. A three-time All-NEC selection in cross county, Tuxbury is out to claim All-NEC honors during the indoor track season. She will compete in the 3000, an event she finished fourth in during her rookie season, and the 5000. Tuxbury enters the weekend with the third-best time among NEC runners (17:22.35).
Classmate Kristen Hayes (Menands, N.Y.) will look to join Tuxbury on the podium this weekend. An outdoor champion in the 400m hurdles, Hayes has her eyes set on a title in the 500 in Landover. She posted a time of 1:17.28 that puts her seventh among NEC runners.
Senior classmates Kara Walsh (Waltham, Mass.) and Brooke Tomasetti (Waterford, Conn.) will look to cap their indoor careers with strong performances this weekend. Two of the best 800 runners in program history, Walsh enters the championships seeded 12th, while Tomasetti is seeded 15th.
Sophomore Jonee Harrison (Dorchester, Mass.) has enjoyed a breakout season this year and has a chance to score big points in the weight throw this weekend. Harrison posted a season-best throw of 15.14m and is seeded seventh in the event.
Other Bulldogs that have a chance to make an impact this weekend include senior Jasmine Bryant (Salem, Mass.), junior Nicole Dempsey (Norwell, Mass.) and freshman MiaLynne Park (Jewett City, Conn.). Bryant will compete in the 60m high hurdles and triple jump, Dempsey has a chance to score in the long jump and Park has been explosive in the 400 during her rookie season.