The men’s and women’s track teams had strong showings this weekend at the Coast Guard Academy—coming in fourth and seventh respectively—a particularly impressive feat since many of the distance runners were resting after last week’s meet at Trinity.
Among a number of solid performances by the teams’ newer runners, Mike Moody ’10 broke the school javelin record for the second weekend in a row.
On the men’s squad, Chris Foster ’09 came in first in the 800-meter dash. Sam Grover ’08, following a second-place jump last week, came in third in the triple jump, and Dan McLaughlin ’07 placed third in his event, the 400-meter race.
“The 800 probably was the highlight of the meet,” said Nathan Huddell ’07. “Chris Foster, who was not the top seed, took the race on the final straightaway and edged out a pair of guys from Tufts. Although he already is fairly well known around the league for his rugged, Midwestern good looks, this race gave Foster an opportunity to showcase the speed that will make him one of the most feared middle-distance runners in the region in the coming weeks and years.”
The freshmen also had a momentous day at Coast Guard, with several debuts and even a personal record.
“In all events, our underclassmen have surpassed expectations this season, and I think that this meet demonstrated how dominant this program should be in the coming years,” Huddell said.
Chris Coleman ’10 and Brad Litchfield ’09 had personal bests in the 1500, and Tom Akita ’10 had an impressive debut.
“On the distance side, Tom ‘T-bone’ Akita ran a great 5,000 in his collegiate track debut,” Huddell said. “Tom had been injured and unable to train for most of the indoor season, so for him to run sub-16:30 with so little preparation, and in very sub-par weather, is indicative of his immense potential.”
In addition to lack of long-distance runners, the women’s team faced some tough weather.
“Coast Guard Academy has a brand new track right on the water,” said Lisa Sussman ’09. “That means two things: you have a beautiful view for the first 200 meters, and it’s really cold and windy from being so close to the river. The cold was really our biggest concern and obstacle at this meet. Sitting around all day in 40 [degrees] or below, no matter how many layers you have on, you’re bound to get stiff. Thankfully, everyone had a really good attitude, no one got injured, and we ran some pretty solid times.”
Thanks in part to strong team spirits, the usual suspects Steph O’Brien ’08 and Sussman held the women’s team together. They placed second and third, respectively, in the 800. The dynamic duo, along with their teammates Abby Austin ’07 and Kara Schnoes ’07, ran into second place in the 4×400-meter relay.
Both the men’s and women’s track teams will hit the track again this Saturday as they host the Swanson invitational at 11 a.m.
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