Men's Track
Junior Jack Morgan led the men's team with his first-place performance in the 800m race. The two relay teams also won their races. Senior tri-captain Janak Chandrasoma teamed up with Jay Wagstaff '05, Dave Molina '05 and first-year Jon Ettinger in the first-place sprint medley relay that barely missed breaking the school record. The distance medley relay fared just as well, as senior John Stanton-Geddes, Morgan, Dave Babbott '07 and Tim Porter '06 took first place.
The men were pleased with these races in particular. "We had some strong relay performances, including a powerful sprint medley team and a dominant distance medley," said Chandrasoma.
Other individual runners also put in strong showings. Molina led the 1500m through most of the race, but he got edged out of first near the finish line and took second place. Mike Page '05 finished a few spots behind in fourth place and Stanton-Geddes finished in fifth. Page also went on to place runner-up in the 5000m run.
In the field events, Ettinger had a strong finish in the long jump, almost breaking the 20-foot barrier. Nick Canevari '06 placed fifth in the javelin throw while LJ Spinnato '06 took ninth in the hammer throw.
"We are just juicing up and hoping to wipe the floor with Wesleyan at the Little Threes, and maybe put an end to Williams' reign of terror," said Chandrasoma.
Women's Track
Sophomore Margaret Davis grabbed first place for the women's team as the sole Amherst contender in the 10,000m run. Despite the lack of competition, Davis kept her time under 39 minutes. Junior Carter Hamill placed second in two races, the 1500m and the 5000m. Three other Amherst women finished in top-10 position in the 1500m.
"Not letting the men who were simultaneously racing the 10K throw off her pace, Margaret Davis cruised to victory in the 10K for the women's team," said senior co-captain Helen Dole. "Ginger [Polich '06] stepped up to race longer than she has all year as she placed well in the 1500."
First-year standout Shauneen Garrahan contributed a second-place finish in the 3000m steeplechase, breaking the school record and becoming the first Amherst runner to finish in under 11 minutes.
"Shauneen had no problem with the water pit and barriers as the first-year raced to a school record in the steeplechase," said Dole.
Garrahan also came in third in the 800m run. In her first race of the outdoor season, sophomore Ariel Haney placed eighth in the 400m dash. The women's sprint medley relay also did well, as Garrahan, Lyndsey Scott '06, Polich and Julia Rucker '06 worked together to grab second place.
In the high jump, Scott placed fourth. Kristine Morin '06 was part of a four-way tie for seventh place in the event.
The men's and women's teams will return to Williamstown this weekend to challenge Little Three rivals Williams College and Wesleyan University at the Little Three Championships this Saturday.
"The women's team is looking forward to placing well as a team at the Little Three meet next weekend," said Dole.