Women’s Water Polo

The University of Massachusetts women’s water polo team (3-4) got back on track this weekend as it went 3-0 at the Princeton Invitational. On Saturday, the Minutewomen downed George Washington, 12-5, and No. 16 Indiana, 10-9. On Sunday afternoon, they topped Bucknell, 8-6.

Seniors Megan Perry (Fresno, Calif.) and Megan Thompson (Chesterfield, Mo.) led a balanced scoring attack against GW with three goals apiece. Junior Amy Black (Fremont, Calif.) and freshman Melissa Goldberg (Annapolis, Md.) each had two goals. Other scorers were juniors Kelly Chassy (Morgan Hill, Calif.) and Mattie Newell (Dillsburg, Pa.). Freshman goaltender Amelia Degenkolb (Berkeley, Calif.) made four saves in the first half, while sophomore Emily Knight (Watertown, Conn.) recorded seven in the second half.

The Minutewomen improved to 5-0 in their history against Indiana with a dramatic 10-9 win last night. Dagenkolb made a big save with just five seconds left in the game to preserve the upset win. Thompson recorded another hat trick, while Chassy, Perry, Newell and Black each scored two goals apiece. Dagenkolb made seven saves.

On Sunday, UMass upended Bucknell, 8-6, to complete the weekend sweep. Newell and Chassy each had a hat trick, while Goldberg and freshman Diana Campbell (Baie d’Urfe, Quebec) scored once. Knight made 11 saves in net.

The Minutewomen will host No. 19 Brown and Yale this upcoming weekend at the Amherst College Pool. The game with Brown is at 1:00 p.m., while the Yale contest will begin at 3:00 p.m.

Men’s Track

The University of Massachusetts men’s indoor track team finished fourth out of seven teams with 123 points at the 2002 Verizon Atlantic 10 Indoor Track and Field Championships held Saturday on the campus the University of Rhode Island. Leading the way for the Minutemen was junior Kwesi Frimpong-Boateng (Accra, Ghana) who won the 55M dash for the sixth time this season with a time of 6.34 seconds in the preliminary results, and then set a new school-record of 6.30 seconds in the finals. That mark also ties the Atlantic 10 Championship record set during the 1999-2000 school year by Andre Davis of Virginia Tech.

The 6.30 time broke the previous school record (6.37 seconds) set by Frimpong-Boateng earlier this season on Jan. 19 in the 2002 New England Challenge Cup at the Boston University Armory. Prior to this season Adrian Zullo held the fastest time in the 55M dash of 6.40 seconds set during the 1999-2000 season.

Frimpong-Boateng also finished third in the 200M dash with a time of 22.59 seconds, garnering UMass 6 points.

In the distance events, senior tri-captain Sal Nastasi (Merrich, N.Y.) turned in a time of 4:19.61 in the mile, placing him fourth overall, while senior Kevin Curtin (Chelmsford, Mass.) finished second in the 3000M run with a time of 8:38.90. Senior Mike Pieck (Guilderland, N.Y.) finished seventh in the 3000M run with a time of 8:49.24, and also finished second in the 5000M run with a time of 15:03.79.

Senior Ryan McNally (Attleboro, Mass.) finished fourth in the 55M high hurdles with a time of 7.88 seconds, while junior Ken Scheider (Wood Ridge, N.J.) finished second in the pole vault, clearing 15’9.00″. Freshman Henry Smith (Ellington, Mass.) finished second overall in the triple jump at 45’6.25″ and junior Eric Uliano (Haverill, Mass.) turned in his best throw of the season at 51’2.25 in the shot put.

Other schools that competed include Rhode Island (192 points), St. Joseph’s (138), La Salle (129), Fordham (60), Temple (47) and Richmond (39).

The Minutemen begin their outdoor track and field season Mar 30, at the Sam Howell Invitational held at Princeton, N.J. Men’s Track ‘ Field.

Women’s Track

The University of Massachusetts women’s indoor track team finished seventh with 74 points at the Verizon Atlantic 10 Indoor Track and Field Championships held Saturday at the University of Rhode Island, winning the pole vault and weight throw. Leading the way for UMass was freshman Christina Bizon (Warwick, R.I.), who was coming off her A-10 Rookie of the Week award, and won the weight throw with a toss of 51’11.00″. It was her longest throw of the season, and the third-best throw in UMass history. Last week Bizon had a throw of 51’0.25″ which at the time was the third-best throw in school history.

Sophomore Brandy Green (Fitchburg, Mass.) won the pole vault clearing 11’5.75″, the third-best jump in school history. Green also finished second overall in the 55M high hurdles with a season-best time of 8.33 seconds.

Senior co-captain Rhianna DaCruz (Pawtucket, R.I.) cleared 10’11.75″ to finish right behind Green and second overall. On Feb. 9, DaCruz cleared 11’9.75″ to set the school record at the Rhode Island Mega Meet held in Kingston, R.I. and qualify for the ECAC Championships to be held Mar. 2-3 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury, Mass. She also cleared a then-school record 11’0.00″ Jan. 19 at the Tufts Invitational. DaCruz currently holds the top mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

UMass also finished second in the distance medley with a season-best time of 12:35.50.

Other schools that competed include Rhode Island (123.50 points), La Salle (101.50), Richmond (100.50), Temple (99), Dayton (89), Duquesne (75), St. Joseph’s (60) and Fordham (17.50).

The Minutewomen begin their outdoor track and field season April 6 at New Haven for a quad-meet, including S. Connecticut, Fordham and St. John’s.