With 2012 only one week old, the men's and women's indoor track teams already faced one of their most daunting challenges of the year at the Bowdoin Invitational last Saturday. Among an impressive field, the Judges squared off against Bowdoin College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Southern Maine.

Despite an event in which both teams did not field their full squads, both the men and women notched impressive results. The women's team scored 42 points while its male counterpart racked up 38 points. Bowdoin, however, won the meet by a commanding margin, notching 241 points and 231 tallies on the women's and men's side, respectively.

Middle distance runner Ali Kirsch '14 noted the team's cohesiveness as a main factor in the team's surprising finish.

"We are really close as a team, and we do all of our training runs and workouts together," said Kirsch.

"We encourage one another and are always there for support. Everyone travels to the meets, so it is really nice to have the teams cheering you on."

For the women's squad, Lily Parenteau '14 and Kim Farrington '13 achieved impressive second-place finishes in the jumps. Parenteau leaped 5 feet, 2.25 inches in the high jump, while Farrington launched 34 feet, 5.75 inches in the triple jump.

However, the runners on the women's squad stole the men's spotlight. Kirsch took second in the 1,000-meter run at three minutes, 8.22 seconds,, just ahead of Kristi Pisarik '15 at 3:08.59. Erin Bisceglia '12 notched points with a fifth-place finish at 3:11.07. Miriam Stulin '15 and Gabriella Guillette '15 also picked up points in the mile and 800-meter run, respectively, finishing in third and fourth, with times of 5:18.54 and 5:41.80.

The men's squad also exhibited an impressive showcase at Bowdoin, featuring three individual winners. Jeffrey Maser '15 took first in the high jump at six feet, four inches. Chris Brown '12 used a blistering last lap to outkick the field and win the one-mile in 4:24.49. Vincent Asante '14 displayed his sprinting prowess, taking first in the 60-meter dash at 7.15 and the 200-meter dash at 23.57.

As a first-year, Maser was unsure how the month-long hiatus between the Reggie Poyau Invitational, held on Dec. 10, and this meet would affect his performance.

However, in addition to citing the help of coach Mark Reytblat, Maser stated that Parenteau was also immensely helpful in preparing him for Bowdoin.

"She has been huge in helping me," said Maser. "We were both really nervous going into the meet, as we had only had a few days of high jump practice, but things worked out. I owe my recent success to Lily."

The teams will not compete until Jan. 22, when they participate in the Greater Boston Track Club Invitational, hosted at Harvard University. Though they might not possess the same depth in numbers as many of the Division III collegiate squads, the teams stick by their motto: quality over quantity.

Kirsch noted that while the density of the schedule may prove daunting at times, the squads have been preparing well.

"We have a meet every weekend leading up to the [University Athletic Association Championships] in New York in late February," said Kirsch. "Everyone wants to keep getting faster and excelling in their respective event."

With commitment and notable persistence already on display this year, one can bet that these qualities will form the basis for the success of indoor track and field this year.