The Bates track and field team traveled to Boston University on Saturday to compete in the Terrier Invitational. The Bobcats competed against a wide field of Division I and Division III teams, and also sent athletes to compete in the University of Southern Maine invitational.
The men’s team had an impressive showing in the Terrier Invitational, as Senior David Pless came in second overall (first for Division III teams) and broke his own Bates record in the shot-put, posting an impressive 61 feet and one-fourth of an inch, beating his previous record by six inches.
“I am extremely proud of our team so far and I think we are going to field a formidable team at the state meet this weekend at USM. I cannot wait to see how much progress this team will make in between this weekend and the upcoming division three New England meet,” noted Pless, who emphasized the contributions of his teammates, “For me personally, the real key to my success this weekend has been my teammates, especially Sean Enos. They have enabled me to put in the time and effort needed to continue to get better. I would not be half that athlete I am without my teammates.”
Also performing well were Bates’ long-distance runners. Sophomore Jon Stansel, junior Tully Hannan, and senior captain James LePage all shined for Bates. Stansel ran his best-ever mile at 4:12.98 and placed second among Division III runners, while LePage came in fifth (among Division III runners) in the same event at 4:15.21. Hannan ran the 5,000 meters, placing third in Division III with a time of 14.36.07.
Senior Andrew Wortham finished fifth in Division III in the 3,000 meters at 8:39.26, and Junior Mark McCauley finished third in the 800 meters with a time of 1:54.41.
The women’s team also ran well at the Terrier invitational, as senior Bud Arens and sophomore Sarah Fusco shined in the 800 meters, placing 17th and 19th (out of a field of 111), respectively, with times of 2:15.46 and 2:16.08.
Junior Kallie Nixon placed 19th out of 36 in the 1,000 meters, while first-year Alexis Dickinson posted a time of 27.20 seconds in the 200 meters. Fusco, Arens, Dickinson, and senior Ansley Flanagan ran a 4×400 relay in 4.07.48.
Bates men’s team placed fifth out of nine teams in the USM invitational, while the women’s team placed third out of eleven teams.
The women’s team won two events, as freshman Mary Krathwohl won the triple jump with a 33 foot, 9.25 inch effort, while sophomore Colby Gail won the weight throw with a top throw of 47 feet, 1.5 inches. Also, freshmen Melanie Ehrenberg and Nicole Cueli placed second and third, respectively, in the pole vault, while sophomore Alyssa Morgosh placed third in the shot-put, throwing 32 feet, 10.5 inches.
Freshman Isabelle Unger came in third in the 1,000 meters at 3:09.21, while fellow first-year Elena Schroeder placed third in the 600 meters at 1:43.66. Bates’ distance runners also showed well, as junior Devin Tatro, senior Lindsay Cullen, and junior Mira Carey-Hatch placed third through fifth in the mile run, with Tatro posting an impressive 5:23.62.
Field events bolstered the men’s team, as junior John Wisener won the pole vault by clearing 14 feet, while freshman Nick Margitza won the shot-put at 47 feet 2.25 inches. Additionally, freshman Detmer Kremer came in second in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, six inches.
Bates will run in the Maine State Men’s Indoor Championship title on Friday at 6pm at the University of Southern Maine.
