Track & Field Takes on April with Stockton #2 and Metropolitan Championship Meets

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Whelan (left) and Sullivan (right) were two of Fordham’s many top performers in a massively successful showing from both the men and women at the Stockton #2. (Courtesy of Fordham Athletics)

Returning to the asphalt for the Stockton #2 Invitational at G. Larry James Stadium in Galloway, New Jersey, both the men’s and women’s track teams were nothing short of dominant. Sophomore Robert LeFevre, junior Michael Capone, and senior Arthur Gooden Jr. all found success in the dash events with a 3rd place 100m time of 11.52, a 2nd place 200m time of 23.28 and a 1st place 400m time of 51.59, respectively. The 1500m race was topped off by 1st and 2nd place finishes from senior William Whelan at 4:03.50 and graduate student Sean Sullivan at 4:04.32. Junior Chase Krug finished 1st in the 400m hurdles with a time 1:02.28, sophomore Jack Craven finished 1st in the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 10:18.81, and freshman Justin Rhee finished 1st in the Triple Jump with a distance of 12.84m. Among these first-place performances, two stood out. The first of which is junior Zalen Nelson’s 800m victory at 1:57.69, and the 4x400m Relay victory of the team of junior Jeremiah LaDuca, Nelson, junior Patrick Tuohy and Gooden at 3:27.49. These stand out considering the Nelson was accompanied in the 800m with seven other Fordham runners finishing in the top 11 spots in a pool of 26 runners, and the relay team finishing with a distant lead of over seven seconds.

Likewise, the women’s team earned an eye-catching seven 1st place finishes at Stockton #2. These came from sophomore Kyla Hill running 12.82 in the 100m, senior Sarinnagh Budris running 1:01.71 in the 400m, sophomore Taylor Mascetta running 2:26.18 in the 800m, freshman Skylar Harris jumping 5.59m in the long jump and junior Jade Dyer-Kennedy jumping 10.66m in the triple jump. As well as a 4x100m finish of 50.86 and a 4x400m finish of 4:14.65 from the first team of sophomore Avila, Harris, Dyer-Kennedy and Hill and the second of Budris, freshman Michele Daye, Avila and junior Jilli Jones.

Jones (above) was the standout performer for the women’s team at the Metropolitan Championships with their lone first-place finish. (Courtesy of Fordham Athletics)

Fordham’s efforts continued between April 9th and 10th at Icahn Stadium for the Metropolitan Championship. For the men, sophomore Erik Brown took 1st in the 400m with a time of 50.71, graduate student Nicholas Raefski took 1st in the 5000m with a time of 14:40.28 and Jack Craven continued his success in the 3000m Steeplechase with another 1st place finish, this time finishing at 9:55.01, shaving a remarkable 23 seconds off his prior mark. Jilli Jones led the women’s team with their sole 1st place finish, coming in the 800m at 2:21.17.

As competition rose at the Metropolitan Championship, Fordham still finished with a telling 22 top-three performances between both teams. Along with the sheer dominance at Stockton #2, Fordham looks to find success this Friday the 16th for the Stockton #3.

Should this array of consistent performances continue, the Rams should have no trouble putting together a competitive team effort.