While most students spent Spring Break relaxing before the hectic schedule of finals descended upon them, the outdoor track teams were starting their season, partaking in two meets over break and one this past weekend.
Kicking off the season for the teams was the Trinity Bantam Invitational Meet in Hartford, Conn. The unpredictable weather was unkind to the runners, with cold rain drenching the teams throughout the day.
"It was a really cold day, and no one on any team did fantastically," Coach Mark Reytblat said.
This non-scoring meet featured the Brandeis men's team finishing in the top eight in four events. The 4 x 100-meter relay team, consisting of Ralph Chery '07, Jason Cohen '05, Dan Goldner '04 and captain Ben Oh '04, finished fourth with a time of 44.71. Rookie Corey Goodeyne placed second in the pole vault with a jump of 13', and Abe Weinograd (GRAD) finished fifth in the hammer throw with a heave of 135'7".
The women's 4 x 100 relay team took home a first place finish, not unusual for the consistently dominant team made up of Jane Farrell '06, Jackie Schon '07, Rachel Lebwohl '04, and Katie Schill '05, who also came in third in the 100-meter hurdles. In addition to being a member of the 4 x 100 relay team, Farrell finished first in the pole vault with a jump of 10'.
Reytblat also emphasized the marked improvement of rookie Megan Bisceglia '07, who finished seventh in the 800-meter event.
Next up for the Judges was an appearance at the Wesleyan Invitational in Middletown, Conn. Schill had a winning day, coming in second in 100-meter hurdles, and winning the 400-meter hurdles. Chen Yahav '07 won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:08.45, just edging the second place finisher.
Kate Moore '06 and Schill finished first and second, respectively, in the pole vault, and Kropp won the long jump and triple jump events.
The men had fewer notable victories, with Chery finishing 11th in the 200-meter dash and fifth in the 400-meter dash.
This past weekend the teams competed in the Connecticut College Invitational in New London, Conn. The men finished ninth out of 12 teams, a respectable finish considering there are still many runners sidelined because of injuries and sickness. Ryan Parker '06, the defending champion of the 800-meter run, was plagued by illness and unable to compete at his best, but according to Reytblatt, "will be ready for next weekend at the UAAs."
Of the healthy runners who competed, Weinograd had a good meet, finishing fifth in the hammer throw with a toss of 142'5". Chery was also a highlight for the Judges, finishing fourth in the 200-meters with a time of 51.39. The men's 4 x 100 relay team came in third with a time of 44.04, its fastest time this season.
The women's 4x100 relay team finished first again, turning in one of the best times in New England right now; not far away from qualifying for nationals. The team was successful in events other than the relay as well. Farrell won the 400-meters and pole vault competition. Kropp finished second in the long jump, third in the triple jump, and fourth in the 100-meters, while teammate Schill was second in the high hurdles and fourth in the pole vault. Rookies Remy, Coyle and Yahav earned some points for the Judges with a third place finish in the 400-meters and first place finish in the hurdles, respectively.
This weekend the teams travel to Carnegie Mellon University to compete in the UAA Championships.