On Friday and Saturday, a limited contingent from the women’s and men’s track teams traveled to Boston University to compete at the Valentine Classic. The meet was the largest of the season so far, with Div. I, II and III schools competing. While the meet does not traditionally feature team scoring, there were several outstanding individual finishes for the both the men and women Lord Jeffs.

Women

Competing on Friday, the women gave a good effort in the shorter distances but fell short in other events. Each race had well over 100 runners; however, Maddie Baker ’09 managed a 100th place finish in the 200-meter dash, running 27.59. In the 400-meter dash, Susan Wasserman ’10 placed 54th with a time of 1:00.55 and Jenny Mancino ’09 was not far behind in 1:03.70. Sophomore Mary Doris Reggie finished an impressive 1:20.33 in the 500-meter race, earning her 30th place.

In the 800-meter, Molly Priedeman ’09 snagged 73rd place with a 2:22.86, with tri-captain Carly Levenson ’09 and Hoiwan Cheung ’10 running identical times to finish in 78th and 79th. Senior Zandra Walton grabbed 62nd place in the mile with a lightning-fast 5:20.84. Eliza Schalch, a trailblazing first-year, placed in the top 85 just minutes after.

The women’s distance runners peformed up to par. Sophomore Hallie Schwab broke the top 50 in the 3000-meter, running an impressive time of 10:38.18. First-year Shannon McKenna ran 10:47.80, good for 65th place, and senior Liz Dalton followed up in 71st. Friday’s highlight was senior tri-captain Elise Tropiano’s astounding second-place finish in the 5000-meter run.

The Amherst women’s 4x400 relay team coasted to 16th in 4:03.31. On the field, Jordan Roehl was a standout in the shot put and weight throw, throwing 10.57 meters for 31st place and 11.01 meters, respectively.

Reflecting on the day’s events, tri-captain Kate Silverman ’09 remarked, “It was a good opportunity to be able to run on such a fast track and at such a huge meet.” Running against — as well as watching — such tough competition, she believes, is beneficial to the team as they head into the championship season.

Men

Competing on Saturday, the men’s team, although still not as prominent in the shorter distances, did its best to hold its own against some of the biggest teams in the Northeast. Tri-captain Anthony “A-Train” Fuller ’09 broke the top 100 to finish 98th in the 200-meter dash with a 23.42, while Tommy Moore ’11 did particularly well in the 400-meter with a 66th place finish in 50.70.

First-year Ryan Drost and Chris Erickson ’12 both placed in the 500-meter run, with more representation than any other event besides the mile. Drost placed 48th with a 1:08.78 and Erickson was less than three seconds behind with a 1:11.31. Tri-captain Kit Callahan ’10 gave it his all in the 800-meter, finishing at 75th place with a time of 1:59.37. In the mile, one of the more exciting events, sophomore Steve Corsello bolted to 33rd place with an impressive 4:15.41. Juniors Will Bell and Jimmy Swanson weren’t far behind with 4:19.33 and 4:20.45.

As the distance increased, so did the Amherst men’s performances. Senior tri-captain Peter Foote easily broke top 50, finishing 46th, in the 3000-meter with an 8:40.60, and junior Daniel Murner did the same in the 5000-meter with a 15:19.32.

The men’s 4x400 relay gave a valiant effort, which was good for 34th place; meanwhile the distance medley relay team consisting of Bell, first-year Ben Scheetz, Moore, and Swanson, blew into 4th place with a mind-boggling 9:59.60. Not only did the relay team run a provisional NCAA qualifier, but it also set a school record in the process.

Foote commented on the event, “The previous record was held by a group of guys who are all Amherst Track and Field legends, so it’s particularly exciting to see the current generation raising the bar.”

The meet wasn’t entirely successful, Foote admitted, explaining that several of the Amherst men have been battling sickness lately. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about the upcoming championship meets.

While the Lord Jeffs did not perform to their usual high standards in every event at the Valentine Classic, there were several standout performances. For the Div. III New England Championships next Saturday, the Amherst men will travel to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the women to Bowdoin College, looking to build upon their momentum for a successful season.