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The chill in the air over the Beckett Track and Field Complex made running conditions less than ideal for the University of Maine as they played host to the University of New Hampshire and Bates College, but the teams managed to put on their only home showcase of the year for fans willing to brave the elements.
Several changes were instituted to deal with the issues created by the body-numbing temperatures. All jumping and vaulting events were contested in the Field House, and the 3,000-meter steeplechase was cancelled because the water jump was frozen.
While the jumpers and vaulters were able to stay a bit warmer in the Field House, the sprinters and distance runners bundled up to beat the cold, hoping that the temperature would not alter their race times significantly.
“We warmed up inside for the most part today, so that was helpful to have the indoor track open,” said returning senior Matt Holman, who won the 400-meter hurdles in 55.12 seconds and competed as a member of a 4×100 and 4×400 relay team. “It’s Maine, so you’re used to the cold and you learn how to manage with it.”
The Black Bears stacked Holman and several others into the event, and were rewarded when freshmen Jimmy Reed and Paul Kelley rounded out the top three. In the 110-meter hurdles, freshman Arthur Von Marschall earned victory in 15.90 seconds.
Senior Skip Edwards ran an impressive 49.94 to win the 400-meter dash. He was joined by senior Troy Harris, whose time of 53.26 was good for third place.
In the field, the team was bolstered by performances from returning senior Jeff Ramos, whose jump of 6-06.75 was good for first in the high jump. Ramos was joined by freshman Jadrien Cousens, who took third with a 6-02.75 showing. UMaine also scored in the long jump when junior Drew Horner took first in the long jump with a 21-07.25 leap.
The 5,000-meter run was also stacked with UMaine runners, who managed to take the top three spots in the race. Sophomore Riley Masters finished in 14:44.22, good for the win and a good start to his highly anticipated second outdoor season. Masters was joined by freshman Patrick Mullarkey (second, 15:11.76) and sophomore Dave Currier (third, 15:13.38).
Good individual showings were not enough for the Black Bears, and the men finished third as a team with 106 points, just behind Bates’ 107 points, and far short of New Hampshire’s 158 points.
The women’s team raced to a team victory by claiming the top spot in several events, including the javelin (Jessica Bond, 144-05); 1,500-meter run (Vanessa Letourneau, 4:41.83); 100-meter dash (Ally Howatt, 12.50); 800-meter run (Corey Conner, 2:19.92); 200-meter run (Shaniqua Burgess, 25.53); and 5,000-meter run (Allie Conner, 17:59.16). In each of these events, Black Bears took second place as well.
“Coach [Dave Cusano] tried to give us a new way to execute the 200, and this was my first time actually trying it,” said sophomore Shaniqua Burgess. “[Work] my first 50 meters and [learn] to be patient, and [know] that if you’re patient, the race will come to you.”
The women’s squad earned victory despite missing sophomore multi-eventer Jesse Labreck, who did not compete this weekend, but would likely have figured into the finish of many of her chosen events. They also put together nearly record-breaking performances even with the poor weather conditions. Multiple-time conference champion Vicki Tolton returned for the outdoor season and missed the 400-meter hurdle record by two-tenths of a second, and the women’s 4×100 relay team was off by just twelve-hundredths of a second.
Field performers were equally important to the team’s success, as sophomore Katherine McGeoghan won the high jump with a 5-05 jump, and throwers including sophomores Rylee Rawcliffe and Katy Grime and senior Alli Krous contributed points to the overall effort.
The women earned 137 points, which was enough to hold off UNH’s 127 points and Bates’ 102 points.
The teams will see action against UNH again next week as they head to Durham for a dual meet with the Wildcats. Some of the athletes will head for warmer weather for the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. Events at UNH begin at noon Saturday.
Bangor Daily News