In the process of wrapping up a long indoor track season this weekend, both UNH teams competed at their respective meets at Boston University. The men took to the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4As) and the women the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECACs) meets. Not everyone runs at these meets, with both meets having competitive qualifying standards. Both teams were coming off a tough conference championship meet last weekend when the men placed fifth and the women third.
Finishing second in their qualifying heat, the men’s distance medley relay (DMR) team turned in the fourth fastest time in the preliminary round and qualified for the finals on Sunday. Sophomores Brett Hoerner and William Ulrich and seniors Jacob Kittredge and Ross Hardy composed the DMR and ultimately finished second in the finals, falling only to Northeastern. The team consisted Horner running the 1200-meter, Hardy in the 400m, Kittredge in the 800m and Ulrich in the mile. The team combined fora total time of 9:53.04.
Sophomore thrower Eric Brogioli threw 58 feet, 4.5 inches in the weight throw after qualifying for finals and finished seventh. Throwers Nicholas Ritzo and Zachary Astle finished 18th and 21st in the shot put with throws of 15.50m and 15.08m, respectively.
“Below their seasonal best, but bigger meet and end of the season, [I’m] happy with it,” men’s head coach Jim Boulanger said of his throwers.
Joel Nkounkou had another strong showing in the heptathlon after a second-place (4998 points) finish last weekend at conference. This weekend he finished 10th with 4671 points.
After a strong meet at conference last weekend, the women’s jumpers were represented well once again thanks to juniors Jeannette Mara and Rachel Morrison. Mara finished second in the high jump and Morrison eighth after a jump-off at 1.68 meters.
Shannon Murdock ran a mile time of 4:49.87 on Saturday to qualify for Sunday’s finals. Murdock placed second in the mile last weekend at conference with a time of 4:52.00. Sunday during the finals she finished ninth with a 4:59.12.
Seniors Alexander Giese and Sarah Keiran ran the 3,000m and placed 11th (9:43.96) and 14th (9:46.96), respectively.
The indoor season is now over for all ‘Cats but one. Junior Elinor Purrier will compete on Friday, March 10 at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Purrier will look to lay down her fastest mile time yet at Texas A&M. She currently has the second fastest mile time in the nation at 4:29.44, just behind Oklahoma State’s Kaela Edwards who owns a time of 4:28.75. ESPN3 will broadcast the two day meet starting on March 10.
For more information visit the UNH athletics website at unhwildcats.com.
