MIT's DMR Leads Many Key Performances at Terrier Classic
January 25-26, 2008
MIT's Track and Field team took a break from the scoring meets to go to the Terrier Classic at Boston University's phenomenal facility. The all day meet (11:00-7:00), with an average of 100+ entries per event and talent ranging from very modest local talent to high level club runners from around the country and from universities as far away as Duke, saw many impressive performances including a national qualifying performance from MIT with their 10:03.3 distance medley relay.
MIT did not compete most of their jumpers and none of their throwers, preferring to get in additional practices. Most of those they did compete performed very well. On Friday evening, the only men's event was the distance medley relay. MIT's hopes were to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships in March but with two of the participants (Yermie Cohen, running the 1200 leg and Jake Ruzevick, running the 1600) not having done any track workouts there was a certain level unknown expectation. Apparently, those concerns did not enter the minds of those on the relay team. Cohen opened things up with a stunning 3:03.4 1200 leg, a very big personal best, to put MIT in second place and on track to meet their goal. Running the 400, Stephen Morton, primarily a jumper/sprinter running only his second collegiate 400, went out a little fast but still delivered a 49.2 performance to give MIT the lead. Matt Bieniosek took the baton, went out in a blazing 27.0 first 200 and brought the baton home in 1:56.7 and in second place behind Fordham University. Ruzevick ran a gutsy 4:14.0 leg, pulling up to Fordham and Duke, which had passed him earlier in the leg, with 200 to go but could not match their finishing kick. MIT's 10:03.3 met the provisional time for NCAA qualifying and will have to wait to see if it holds up to get them to the championship. There is hope that another attempt later in the season will produce even better results.
On Saturday, many personal bests were put up by Tech. In the high hurdles, Dave Fernholz made his first final when he hurdled to a personal best of 8.22 just .18 behind teammate Anthony Teixeira. Stephen Oney stepped on the track in the 400 and dropped a second off of his indoor best by running 51.48. The good news continued for the Engineers in the 500 where in separate sections Matt Bieniosek and Dave Reshef ran identical 1:07.15 times.
Bill Phipps led the way for MIT in the 800. Fighting off contact and getting boxed in, Phipps ran a personal best 1:57.67. Peter Mulligan ran to a season best 2:02.03 to show he is getting ready for the end of his senior season. In the 1000, freshman Kevin Kleinguetl had his best race of the year, running a well paced 2:33.44 to post the fastest time for MIT so far this season. Shawn Conrad ran his season best as well, running 2:38.22.
Cohen came back in the mile hoping he had recovered from the dmr the night before. Cohen ran a strong evenly pace first 1200, coming through in 3:10 but could not hold on as his faded slightly, finishing in 4:16.98, a personal indoor best. Paul Welle continued his excellent racing, but made some tactical errors, allowing himself to get boxed in a couple of times and eventually tripped from behind in the final lap to lose significant time. Nevertheless, Welle, who had fought off the effects of food poisoning earlier in the week, finished with a personal best 4:22.14.
Stephen Morton also came back to perform on Saturday. In the long jump he placed third with a 22-3 performance and then got on the track and despite drawing the disadvantageous lane 2, he ran a season best of 22.45. It was tempting to bring Morton back for the 4x400 but knowing he has a lot of events left in this competitive season, he was relegated to cheering as Oney, Bieniosek, Reshef and the still ailing, John Granata put their best foot forward. Oney led things off with a phenomenal opening 400 of 50.6. Bieniosek, not to be outdone, pushed through a 50.9 leg. Reshef ran an excellent leg, setting up Granata with a 51.1 performance. Granata, sick from a bad cold all week, performed poorly in the 800 earlier, letting the illness affect him mentally and taking him out of the race. With the excitement of the relay and knowing his teammates were counting on him, he bypassed the thinking part and just raced, producing a very fine 50.2 anchor to give the team an outstanding 3:22.81.
With the meet nearing its end, only the two distance events remained. Joe Roy-Mayhew was the the lone MIT representative in the 3000. Hoping the pace would be quick, Roy-Mayhew was disappointed with the 71 second opening 400. Roy-Mayhew immediately took charge, running 68s for the rest of the race to finish in a personal best 8:37.35 and lower his own seventh best all-time MIT performance.
In the 5000, Ruzevick came back in what was probably an ill-advised attempt to qualify for nationals. Ruzevick was not in the race from the start, running hard but not really racing en route to a 15:01.36. Chris Wong, in section two, seemed to give up early in the race, going from first to last in the first mile. As the individuals in front of him began to fatigue, Wong began to run more aggressively, running the final 600 in 1:43 to race to a personal best of 15:10.45. Another personal best was had by Brian Jacokes in section three. His job was to win his section and he made every effort to make that happen. Running very even pace, coming through mile splits of 4:58, 4:57, 4:53 before finishing with a 33 final 200 only to lose in the final straight. However his 15:21.48 was an excellent personal best and shows what happens when you just race.
Next week, it is back to scoring meets as MIT travels north to Bowdoin College to go against Bowdoin, Colby, Springfield and Tufts in a very competitive 5-way meet.