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The MIT Women's Track and Field team took third place at
the New England Division III Championship on February 23, their best finish yet,
through a strong team effort that included five new Institute records.
Coach Brooks (back center) was very happy with the day's performances at the New England Division III Championship.
Around him are five of the meet's stars. (Left to right): Kirsten Aarsvold, Leanne Veldhuis,
Coach Brooks, Amy Magnuson, and Jacqui Wentz. Front row: Andrea Bradshaw.
Magnuson Second At NCAA Championships
March 15, 2008
By Steve Vaitones
Amy Magnuson capped a superlative indoor track season with a silver medal at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships at Ohio Northern University on Saturday. The sophomore placed just forth in the semi final on Friday but was plenty fast enough to advance to Saturday's final, where she was the only New Englander in the 8 runner field.
In the medal race, the results were identical to the previous weekend's ECAC championship, as Magnuson was second to Sumer Rohrs of Frostburg State University (Maryland). Her time of 8.01 seconds again established a school record, as the winner turned in the fastest Division III time of the year for the second consecutive week. That matchup will continue for another year, as Rohrs is a junior. Magnuson's 8 points for second put MIT 25th in the scoring column, as 67 schools recorded at least one point.
MIT SECOND AT ECAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
More records highlight Day 2
March 7, 2008
By Steve Vaitones
Solid performances and scorers in five more events on the track and in the field pushed MIT up to a second place finish at the conclusion of the ECAC Championships on Saturday. It was the team's highest placing ever in the championships. Moravian College of Bethlehem Pennsylvania topped the standings with 56, followed by MIT with 42.5, and Bates third with 42; scoring was tight at the top as second through seventh places were within just 5.5 points.
Tech, in fact, led the competition after 16 events, and the fifty- plus teams that scored points over the two days picked up additional points in the final five races, but only the winner could tally enough points to pass the Engineers; Bates came up one place shy in the 4x800 which moved them up but one half point shy of the silver medal plaque. The team had never qualified as many athletes for the meet as in 2008, and this year's entry roster also contributed the big points needed to be at the top of the final rankings.
Capping her season in the thrower's circle, Aline Thomas achieved her second personal best and second NCAA provisional qualifier of the weekend in placing fourth in the 20 pound weight throw. Her spin of 50'7.25" added nearly 2 feet to her best and makes her only the second Engineer to crest 50' in the event.
It may sound like a broken record bringing up broken records, but the performance list updates continued at the Gordon Track as they have at venues all season.
Amy Magnuson contributed points and earned records in both the hurdles and long jump. Her time of 8.04 seconds over the barriers marks the fifth new standard since January; in an event where margins of victory are often measured in thousandths, her improvements have totaled .34 second since January. The result improved on her best time in the nation - yet she finished just second to a mark of 7.98, both times among the best national DIII times in several years. The pair will match-up at Nationals next week.
Continuing her day in the long jump, she spanned 17'6" that gained fourth place, as well as eclipsed Nalini Gupta's school best 17'3.75 from 2004.
Andrea Bradshaw pulled the Institute 800 mark down another tick in her strong third place finish, the 2:16.89 time marking her fourth rewrite to the event this season.
Two other members of the previous day's record setting (and NCAA provisional time) distance medley relay returned for individual events on Saturday; Jacqui Wentz picked up two important points with a 7th in the mile (5:12.26) and Leanne Veldhuis placed 12th in the 600 at 1:20.15.
The season ends at Nationals next weekend, with only Magnuson a guaranteed entry at this point, as provisional qualifiers will have to wait a few days for the selection process.
Women 4th after first day of ECAC DIII T&F Championships
March 7, 2008
By Steve Vaitones
The women's track and field team sits in fourth place with 16.5 points after the first day of the ECAC Division III Championship running at Harvard University's Gordon Track this Friday and Saturday. Moravian College leads with 26 points.
Points were racked up in three events, where Engineers covered all disciplines by placing third in each of a run, throw, and jump. Topping the performances was a school record in the distance medley relay, where the quartet of Adrienne Bolger (1200m), Leanne Veldhuis (400m), Andrea Bradshaw (800m) and Jacqui Wentz (1600) stopped the clock at 12:17.06, breaking the four year old standard by nearly 5 seconds.
In the shot put, Aline Thomas tossed a personal best of 42'2", which is also an NCAA national provisional qualifying mark.
Emily Hwang completed the scoring with a third place tie in the pole vault, clearing 11'3/4". Karen Fisher scaled a personal best 10' 6 3/4" and tied for 12th.
Amy Magnuson led the qualifiers in the 55 hurdles from the preliminaries to Saturday's semi-final with a time of 8.15 - .01 off her week old Tech record. She also placed 20th in the triple jump, bouncing out 34'3".
The meet concludes on Saturday.
MIT Women at All-New England Track and Field Championships
March 1, 2008
By Steve Vaitones
Led by four new institute records, MIT scored nine points to place 19th in a field of 32 at the New England Intercollegiate Indoor Track & Field Championships held Friday and Saturday at Boston University.
Adrienne Bolger '09 had a part in two of the new standards; in the 1000 meters, she first set a new best 2:58.43 in the trials round which improved her own week-old mark; she just missed re-setting by less than a second in Saturday's finals where her 2:59.18 was good for seventh place.
She returned later in the afternoon to run a sub 2:20 leg in the 4x800 meter relay, as the team of Bolger, Andrea Bradshaw '09, Jacqui Wentz '10, and Leanne Veldhuis '08 crushed the two week old record in the event by over 10 seconds, clocking 9:25.86 for sixth place.
Amy Magnuson '10 lowered the record in the 55 meter hurdles twice on Saturday, clocking 8.18 seconds in the semi-final round, and knocking off .02 more in the finals where she placed sixth; the 8.16 ties for the fastest Division III time in the nation this year and is her fourth school record in the event this year.
Also scoring points was Emily Hwang '10, who finished in a three way tie for seventh in the pole vault with a jump of 10'10".
Aline Thomas '08 bettered the NCAA National Division III provisional qualifying standard in the 20 lb weight throw with a personal best 49'10", which also makes her #2 on the MIT list.
Magnuson also competed in the long jump (19th, 16'3 3'4") and triple jump (20th, 33'10").
Bradshaw place 16th in the 800 meter trials, her 2:18.39 the second best in Tech history. Veldhuis was 25th in the 500 meter trials (1:20.95), and Wentz moved to #3 on the all time mile list as she finished second in the unseeded heat in 5:09.82. Karen Fisher was 12th in the pole vault, 10"4".
Sweet Times at BU Valentine Meet
February 8, 2008
By Steve Vaitones
Just two weeks after a successful visit to Boston University, the MIT women returned to the Terriers' home for another helping of rugged competition. The team resonded to a much larger and more competitive meet with similar quality results, challenging among the many athletes at all levels rounding into championship shape, and where the number of entries in some event fields were far in excess of 100 (168 in the 200 meters alone!).
A pair of records were erased on the track, both by athletes bettering marks they themselves had chalked up in prior years. Similar to the Terrier classic, Amy Magnuson bettered her 55 meter hurdles set at the 2007 NCAA Division Nationals, and pulling her ranking up to fourth in the DIII country with another qualifying time of 8.32 seconds. She did it in a tougher fashion, as the trial round only had her ninth which relagated the star to the second - and slower - final heat. It was all her show in the finals running without faster qualifiers, and placing third overall in the combined overall final results. Adrienne Bolger brought her two season old 1000 meter mark down. The 2:59.86 made her the first Tech time under 3:00 for the kilometer in a much awaited breakthrough for the season.
Over the longer distances, times were again quick. Again pacing the distance corps, Hana Adaniya clocked 18:29.59 with Anna Holt-Goslin just behind in 18:29.91, her third personal best at that distance this season. At 3000 meters, Lauren McCarthy (10:43.08) and Jen Doyle (10:55.35) were competitive in the fields. Jacqui Wentz also made it four weeks of bests with a mile of 5:11.34, #3 all time. Andrea Bradshaw continued a consistant season with a 2:23.23 in the 800, a time which would have been a school record a month ago but only is #3. Kristen Aarsvold ducked under 2:30 for the first time, finishing in 2:29.67. Moving down in the distances, Lanne Veldhuis ran the #3 all time 500 with a 1:20.35, and taking full advantage of the combination of the banked oval and strong competition, Margaret Leibovic continued her steady sprint season, bringing her PB down by 3/10 in the 200, 27.12, and missed by one tick in the 55, 7.61.
Other Engineers competing on the track were Hazel Briner (10.05 hurdles, 2:40.29 800), Jen Tran (10.05 hurdles), and the relay passed the stick in 4:08.16, #3 all time for a Tech team.
In the field, top marks were turned in by Emily Hwang, upping her season best to 10'10" and placing 14th. Magnuson doubled back in both horizontal jumps, spanning 15'2.75" and 34'5.75" in the long and triple. Aline Thomas spun the weight out to a '08 best of 47'3.75", a respectable 15th; she also put the shot an indoor personal best 38'2.25". Adding to jumps stats were Karen Fisher (9'8" PV/32'3.5" TJ), Jen Tran (14'11.25"/30'7" LJ/TJ), Hazel Briner (13'2.25" LJ), and Karen Davie (12'8.75" LJ), while Sara Rich tossed the weight 35'5.75".
The team hosts the annual co-ed classic on Saturday and prepares for the DIII New Englands (February 23).
Team Takes Two in Maine
February 2, 2008
By Steve Vaitones
Depth in a number of events gave MIT Wins over a pair of Maine D3 rivals in Brunswick, Maine, scoring 206 points to best host Bowdoin (188) and Colby (168). The Polar Bears' den has proved to be a comfortable setting for the Engineers and the 2008 visit proved no exception.
No school record topped the charts this week, but not for lack of effort. Andrea Bradshaw came within .07 of a headline in winning the 600 meters, the junior clocking 1:40.96. Amy Magnuson was similary close (.08) with an 8.40 win in the hurdles; she also stepped out to a win in the triple jump and second in the long jump with a seasonal best 16'8.
The team had three other winners, with Margaret Leibovic taking the 55 (7.63), Emily Hwang the pole vault (10'6), and the team winning the 4x200. While Bowdoin won seven events, it was depth by MIT that sealed the win. With Jen Tran and Hazel Briner clearing the barriers behind Manguson, the team had an unprecedented three scorers in the hurdles, and captain Leanne Veldhuis led a 2-3-4 finish in the 200; the captain was also 2nd in the 400.
Adrienne Bolger in the 800m (2:24.78), and Jacqui Wentz in the mile with a personal best of 5:15.02, both double back and scored in the mile and 800, respectively. Hana Adaniya's 3:08.49 in the 1000 moved her to #3 performer all-time and qualified in her fourth event for D3 New Englands. Long distance crew best placings were thirds by Anna Holt-Goslin (3000) and Lauren McCarthy (5000), and Alina Gatowski made the NED3 standard as well in the 5000.
Aline Thomas took silver in the weight, and third in the shot, as both throws found three Tech scorers. Jen Tran spanned 15'8 for a NE D3 ticket, and all jumps had at least a pair of Engineers scoring points to the cause.
MIT returns to Boston University for the Valentine Invitational on February 8.
Classic Time for Bradshaw at Terrier
January 25-26, 2008
By Steve Vaitones
Highlighted by a school record, MIT women made their short trot across the river to the Boston U Terrier Classic on Friday a successful road trip. In the non-team-scoring event attended by schools from all three divisions as well as open club athletes, the emphasis was on performance and numerous good marks peppered the results.
Topping the team achievement list again was Andrea Bradshaw, with her second Tech record in as many weeks, clocking 2:22:03 in the 800 meters. Amy Magnuson again bettered the NCAA Division III qualifying standard in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 8.46, duplicating the trial round time in the final, and placing third overall against an impressive field.
In the 5000 meters, Hana Adaniya finished in 18:10.69, making her the #5 all time MIT runner at that distance; Lauren McCarthy (18:36.85) and Anna Holt-Goslin (18:52.37) also ran personal best and all-time top 10 times.
Taking full advantage of the combination of the banked oval and strong competition, Margaret Leibovic ran a personal best in the 200, 27.48, as did Jacqui Wentz in the mile, 5:19.40.
Other Engineers competing included Kirsten Aarsvold (800, 2:35.21), Leanne Veldhuis (500, 1:21.23), Adrienne Bolger (1000, 3:12.03), and freshman Alina Gotowski (3000m, 11:11.91).
The quartet of Bolger, Veldhuis, Bradshaw, and Wentz returned on Saturday morning for the Distance Medley Relay. The hard racing of Friday with a short overnight rest produced a carry of 12:45.06, still the #5 time on the MIT lists.
A longer road trip - to Brunswick, Maine, for a quad meet at Bowdoin - faces the team on February 2.
Engineers Sweep Maine Opponents
January 19, 2008
By Steve Vaitones
With a school record and NCAA qualifying mark among the results, the women's team opened the scoring season with a convincing win in a home quad meet with Maine schools on Saturday. The Engineers (178.5 points) topped Bates by 27.5 points, with Colby (127) and Southern Maine (120) trailing in the hotly contested meet.
Junior Andrea Bradshaw brought her indoor personal best down to the level of her outdoor mark with a strong win in the 800, stopping the clock at 2:23. She also contributed a lead in the victorious 4x200 relay to open the day's track events.
The Engineers benefited from their depth, which was best displayed during a third-through-sixth sweep in the 3000-meter run paced by rookie Anna Holt-Gosselin.
Amy Magnuson easily won the 55-meter hurdles trials, and returned for an NCAA qualifying 8.44 seconds in the final.
The soph standout also won the triple jump with a 32'6 1/2" bound, and placed second in the long jump at 16'1/2".
Welcome support came from captain Karen Davie, returning to the battles after an injury year, who jumped 31'10.25" for second in the triple jump.
Strength in the pole vault is again in evidence for the 2008 season as Emily Hwang and freshman Karin Fisher went 1-2 with clearances of 10 feet even, the latter becoming the eighth Tech vaulter to scale 10'.
The collected schools are always strong in the throws, and Aline Thomas matched up well with the field, takng a second (shot put) and third (weight), both NE Division III qualifiers.
Middle and long distances proved the strength of the Engineer point attack, the 3000 finding the team in places 3-6, with Anna Holt-Gosslin, Hana Adaniya, Lauren McCarthy, and Elizabeth Finn all qualifying for the NE DIII meet.
Adrienne Bolger led from the gun to win the 1000m in 3:09.47, and Jacqui Wentz set a personal best with a second in the 800 at 2:24.86. Leanne Veldhuis gained the same place in the 600, running 1:43.02. The team had no entrants in the 400 or mile.
In the sprint events, Margaret Leibovic lowered her PR in the 55 meters with a 7.60 win, and returned to take fourth in the 200m at 28.29.