By Eric Mansfield
Collegian Staff
After a two-day Atlantic 10 Championship meet in Rhode Island this weekend, the Massachusetts men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams took fourth and seventh place finishes, respectively.
The men took home four A-10 titles, including one in the pole vaulting event as Sean Busch, who won the same event in 2010, repeated as champion.
Joining Busch in the winner’s circle was the distance medley relay team comprised of seniors Sean Duncan, Daniel Barry, junior Evan Donadt and sophomore Joe Doyle. With a combined time of 10:00.99, the four harriers now hold the top spot in A-10 championship history, previously held by
Charlotte with a time of 10:02.14 in 2010. The mark also puts them seven seconds behind the UMass record books.
Junior Zachary Koncki added an A-10 title with his performance in the long jump. Koncki jumped a distance of 23-3.50, putting him only 0-2.25 away from third-place all time at UMass.
Busch, Koncki and the distance medley relay team were all named to the first team All-Conference for their performances.
Senior Tyler Cotto added another title for the Minutemen in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 7.52, currently a personal and team best for this season.
Koncki also ran the 55 meter hurdles, finishing in sixth, qualifying him for the New England Championships and the IC4A meet.
Duncan added to his resume as he placed third in the mile with a time of 4:16.44, qualifying him for the NEC.
Senior Chris Dzidek ran the season’s first heptathlon, finishing fifth with 4,391 points.
Duncan said he was pleased with the team’s performance and overall enthusiasm, noting that everyone was rooting for each other now matter how well they may or may not have done in their own event.
“It was a great team effort,” Duncan said. “The team met if not exceeded expectations.”
Duncan added that the distance medley relay were very exciting races.
“Everyone did what they needed to do,” he said. “It played out really well.”
Duncan said that Rhode Island and Charlotte usually come into to the meet noticeably pumped up and ready to battle for the top spot, but the Minutemen came ready and matched their intensity.
The Minutewomen would capture one A-10 title in the triple jump. Senior Stephanie Aguguo finished with a jump of 40-03.25, the second-best mark in school history. With the win, Aguguo was named first team All-Conference.
Senior Gina Perno finished fifth in the finals of the 1,000 meter run with a time of 2:56.69 and sophomore Rebecca Banker tied her season-best mark in the high jump with a leap of 5-05.00, good for fifth place.
The host team took first place n the men’s meet as URI tallied a total of 158.50 points. Charlotte and Fordham took second and third, respectively, while UMass tied for fourth with Temple (87 points)..
Taking the title for the women was Dayton with a total of 161 points. Rounding out the top five was Charlotte, URI, Duquesne and St. Louis.
Next weekend, UMass will travel to Boston, Mass. for the NEC.
Eric Mansfield can be reached at [email protected].
