The women's team knew it would be nearly impossible to topple Williams College and Tufts University, since both squads sport rosters that double the Jeffs' in size. The men, despite having some excellent individuals, lacked the numbers to contend for a top spot.
While track and field is an individual sport, Amherst approached this meet with a craving for points, not personal records, and according to Head Coach Erik Nedeau, the team, embraced the strategy. "We really focus on this meet from a team scoring aspect, and as a result, the kids are going to be in numerous events and sometimes not what they might want to do but it is in the best interest of the team and they get pumped for it."
While the teams parted ways in Boston, Mass.-the women traveled to Tufts and the men to MIT-they both headed for successful results. The women achieved their goal, finishing in third place, as first-year Nicole Anderson secured the only first place for both teams with a vicotry in the 5,000-meter run. Meanwhile, the men came in 11th, helped, by a solid performance in the 3,000-meter run in which Amherst had three runners finish in the top eight.
Women
The 5,000 was not just a big race for Amherst because of Anderson's victory; two other Jeffs placed in the top six. Anderson was followed by fellow first-year Elise Tropiano in third, as she made it under the 18-minute mark for the first time with a 17:59.07. Sophomore Katie Moravec also earned points with a new personal best time of 18:15.53, good for sixth place.
Outshining Anderson's first-place finish might have been Maria Millard '08. She came in fourth place in the pentathlon, scoring a remarkable 3,000 points in the event, a school record.
More Amherst first-years grabbed points in the middle-distance races, with Carly Levenson taking fourth in the 600-meter run and Zandra Walton coming in eighth in the 800-meter run. Walton also ran to a personal record in the mile at 5:09.69. Senior co-captain Ginger Polich ran a terrific race, finishing second in the 1,000-meter run. First-year Caitlin McDermott-Murphy followed in seventh.
Two runners grabbed points in the 3,000 as Heather Wilson '08 finished in third and classmate Kim Partee followed in eighth. Wilson joined forces with senior co-captain Julia Rucker, McDermott-Murphy and junior Shauneen Garrahan to claim third in the distance medley relay. McDermott-Murphy got another bronze in the 4x800-meter relay along with Polich, Walton and first-year Tovah Ackerman. Junior Hannah Campbell teamed with three first-years-Levenson, Kat Loomis and Kate Silverman-to finish in sixth place in the 4x200-meter relay. Campbell and Levenson also ran to a fifth-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay with first-year Jenny Mancino and Rucker.
At the meet, every Jeff runner produced stellar performances and the team was able to take home the bronze.
Men
Tomas Morrissey '08 led a triumvirate of point-scorers in the 3,000 with a third-place finish. He was followed by senior David Schreiner who took sixth, placing from the unseeded section, with a personal best mark of 8:49.35. Mike Harbus '08 was a second behind in eighth place.
Junior co-captain Sam Hayman dominated the unseeded section of the 1,000-meter run, coming in third overall. Hayman also ran a leg of the fifth-place 4x800 team, along with sophomores Rom Cabeza and Basile Beaty and first-year Steve Stewart. The team placed highly despite the fact that Stewart ran into the track railing and was forced to complete a lap in obvious pain.
The distance medley relay squad also picked up a point with its eighth-place finish, led by junior John Babbott's amazing performance. Babbott was joined by first-year Harrison Lakehomer, senior co-captain Tim Porter and sophomore Ben Read.
The Men's and Women's Track team will head back into competition this weekend in the Open New England's, which are hosted by Boston University on Feb. 24-25.