Competitions at the Akron Open, Virginia Tech Challenge and Last Chance Meet at George Mason University Pave the Way for
Saint Francis' Highest Finish Ever at the IC4A's
Akron, Ohio – Saint Francis confidently strode into the Akron Open on February 1 and 2 after putting their best foot forward in meets at Penn State and Bucknell the preceding weekend. The Flash put their stamp on this noteworthy competition, bringing back one first place finish in the men’s 200-meter dash along with numerous other top ten awards.
This weekend’s battle with serve as a great tune-up for the conference championships next week.
Starting in the field, senior Lisa Morse (Freedom, N.Y./Pioneer Central) was the lone Red Flash representative in the shot put, throwing for a fifth place finish of 46-06.00 (14.17m). In the second heat of competition, senior Kayla Herron (Cumberland, Ohio/John Glenn) landed in sixth place with a lob of 42-02.75 (12.87m)
Turning to the other hurling event, the women’s 20-lb. weight throw, Herron topped out at seventh place with a toss of 57-02.25 (17.43m).
Following the select performances by Morse and Herron, senior Kora Hardy (Salisbury, Md./James M. Benett) and sophomore Rayisha Quarrie stood tall on the oval, dashing for times of 8.08 and 8.51, respectively. Hardy and Quarrie were listed in 19th and 34th overall.
In the women’s 200-meter, Quarrie garnered 30th, overall, with a rate of 28.22. Quarrie’s freshman counterpart, Jade Perry, ended up one slot ahead of her in 29th with a time of 28.13. For the 400-meter, SFU placed in 17th and 23rd with times of 1:04.08 and 1:08.39 from the likes of sophomore Danielle Burton (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) and Perry. Three Red Flash members furnished the 800-meter, senior Antonia Artise (North East, Pa./Iroquois), junior Sarah Rutledge (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) and freshman Danielle Williams. Artise was timed in 12th, dashing for a 2:25.29 time. Rutledge finished in 19th with a 2:30.89 pace and William’s rate of 2:33.40 landed her in 23rd. The mile test sprung one SFU delegate forward in sophomore Julie Yasko (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) with a 23rd place finish of 5:53.48.
Freshman vaulter Elizabeth DeMedal sprung for a lofty mark of 10-11.75 in the pole-vaulting event. DeMedal grabbed fourth in the competition.
Junior Jill Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover) triple jumped her way to a length of 34-06.25 (10.52m), well enough for sixth place.
The men performed at a high level this weekend, as well, as junior Ben Maderia (Summerhill, Pa./Forest Hills) received a sixth place finish in the shot put with a benchmark of 52-09.25 (16.08m). Senior Jordan Hess (McConnellsburg, Pa./McConnellsburg) lagged two spots behind, hurling for a 51-10.00 (15.80m) length with junior Josh Hazen (Vernon, N.J./Vernon) landed in ninth for his clear of 50-01.25 (15.27m). In the second heat, Maderia and Hess finished up in sixth and 14th, overall, with tosses of 55-03.75 (16.86m) and 51-00.25 (15.55m).
On the striped circle, senior sprinter James Bush (Baltimore, Md./St. Francis Prep) bolted for a 14th place finish of 7.08 while his two teammates, junior Denis Eradiri (Sofia, Bulgaria/Vladislav Gramatik 73) and freshman Jacob Librizzi, each turned in efforts of 7.23, finishing at 27th and 28th, in that order.
Saint Francis’ staked their first claim to the number one spot after Bush galloped halfway around the track in the 200-meter for a speedy clock of 22.14. Senior Ian Butcher (Georgetown, Ontario/Christ the King) fell into 20th after recording a pace of 22.88.
Sophomore Ben Peacock (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) was the lone member of the Flash in the 400-meter, documenting 36th place with a time of 53.88. In the mile race, senior Jonathan Gibson (Cannonsburg, Pa./Cannon McMillian) wound up in 11th after darting for a 4:7.88 clip. Turning to the 800-meter, sophomore Chris Behre (Flanders, N.J./Mount Olive) handed in a 1:58.02 for 28th place while senior John Balouris (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) ran for almost a minute flat with a time of 2:00.54, listing him at 39th.
Crafty leapers Librizzi and Peacock participated in the 60-meter hurdles chronicled 11th and 24th place finishes, correspondingly, with times of 8.56 and 9.18.
Saint Francis’ next is are the daunting Northeast Conference Championships to be held in Landover, Md. on February 9 and 10.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blacksburg, Va. – On Saturday, February 23, the Red Flash took part in the Virginia Tech Challenge put on by the Hokies of Virginia Tech University. Regardless of not claiming any first place decorations, a new school record was set in the preliminary run of the 60-meter hurdles by freshman Jacob Librizzi.
On the men’s side of the track, senior sprinter James Bush (Baltimore, Md./St. Francis Prep) thrashed the elliptical in the 60-meter with a beat of 6.96, finalizing him in 13th overall. Junior Denis Eradiri (Sofia, Bulgaria/Vladislav Gramatik 73) came in 34th by sprinting for a time of 7.16. Bush’s endeavor at the 200-meter handed him a 20th overall placing with a time of 22.11. Junior Jorden Davis (Mississauga, Ontario/Loyola Catholic) was clocked in seventh place in 48.53 for the 400-meter. Senior Ian Butcher’s (Georgetown, Ontario/Christ the King) stab at the 400 furnished him with a 24th place attempt by finishing one lap in just 49.86 seconds.
Sophomore Chris Behre (Flanders, N.J./Mount Olive), sophomore Ben Peacock (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria), Butcher and Davis joined forces in the 4x400 relay, combining for a time of 3:23.56. The quartet’s rate delivered them a 16th place finish.
Leaping over to the 60-meter hurdles, Librizzi set a Saint Francis record in the preliminary run with a rapid pace of 8.26. Peacock turned in a pace of 9.11 in the very same event.
The men’s field team functioned diligently once again, thanks to juniors Ben Maderia (Summerhill, Pa./Forest Hills), Josh Hazen (Vernon, N.J./Vernon) and Eradiri. Maderia yanked one for 16.58m in the shot put event, finalizing his fifth place presence. Hazen’s eighth place effort of 15.84m isn’t to go unnoticed. In the 35-lb. weight throw, Maderia was the only member of the Red Flash to place. Maderia’s lug of 17.76m was good enough for sixth place overall.
Eradiri’s 14.69m performance in the triple jump garnered an 11th place finish for Saint Francis.
The women’s side had three finishers at the Virginia Tech Challenge. On the track, senior Shannon Kovack (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville) turned in a ninth place endeavor in the 5K. In the field, freshman vaulter Elizabeth DeMedal cleared 3.15m for 16th place while senior Kayla Herron (Cumberland, Ohio/John Glenn) lobbed for fifth place with a mark of 17.23m.
The Flash will travel to neighboring Fairfax, Va. for the Last Chance Meet held on George Mason University’s campus. This meet will be the final competition before the IC4A Indoor Track Championships in Boston, Mass.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fairfax, Va. – After competing well on Virginia Tech’s campus last weekend, SFU returned to the Old Dominion to play a part in George Mason University’s Last Chance Meet on Saturday, March 1. As for Saint Francis, this was their last chance to get in gear before the IC4A Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston, Mass. beginning on March 8.
The Flash certainly hit their stride going into championship week by posting one first place finish and four second place listings.
Senior Lisa Morse (Freedom, N.Y./Pioneer Central) was awarded first place in the women’s shot put event with a toss of 13.87m.
In the men’s 55-meter event, junior Denis Eradiri (Sofia, Bulgaria/Vladislav Gramatik 73) gathered a fifth place achievement by bolting for a pace of 6.58. In the 400-meter, senior Ian Butcher’s (Georgetown, Ontario/Christ the King) time of 50.49 landed him just one slot out of finishing first. Senior sprinter James Bush (Baltimore, Md./St. Francis Prep) rounded out the scoring with a fifth place mark of 52.03. In the 500-meter race, sophomore Ben Peacock (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) scored eighth with a clock of 1:12.41. Sophomore Chris Behre (Flanders, N.J./Mount Olive) finished in the top five with a fifth place run of 2:33.57 in 1K.
The 55-meter hurdles were privy to a lightning-quick rate of 7.74 from the feet of freshman Jacob Librizzi. Librizzi’s effort landed him the silver.
Junior leaper William Velez (Staten Island, N.Y./Benedictine) cleared 2.06 in the men’s high jump for third place. In the long jump event, Eradiri tallied points again, this time in the men’s long jump by soaring for a length of 6.89m. His attempt earned him a third place decoration.
Saint Francis will knuckle up for the IC4A Indoor Track & Field Championships, hosted in Boston, Mass. beginning on Saturday, March 8.