By Bryan Kiel
The track team competed this past week at the Metropolitan Indoor Championship at The Armory in Manhattan. The meet, which concluded on Friday, was the first of three championship meets for the team this indoor season. The Rams had an excellent performance at the meet, posting first place finishes in nine events, with top-five finishes for both the men’s and women’s teams.
The women had an especially strong performance at the Armory. In 15 events that Fordham competed in, six were won by a Fordham athlete. Senior Anisa Arsenault placed first in the 5000 meter run, with a time of 17:28. Senior Titi Fagade ran a personal best 2:10.26 in the 800 meter run to take first as well. Other first place finishers included junior Melissa Higgins and senior Christina Vivinetto. Higgins’ time of 2:59.89 in the 1000 meter run was the best of her career, and Vivinetto’s 10:22 in the 3000 meter run also was a personal best.
The relay teams continue to be one of Fordham’s most dominant athletic showcases of the season. The 4×800 relay team of Higgins, Fagade and juniors Mara Lieberman and Kristen Stuart placed first over eight teams with a time of 9:15.93. The distance medley team followed suit, with a time of 12:14, guaranteeing a first place finish. The team, consisting of a combination of four different-length races, was comprised of sophomore Danielle Rowe, seniors Averie Sheppard and Diane Bain and Arsenault. With six wins and strong depth behind the winners in mid-distance and long-distance races, the Fordham women took third out of 15 teams.
Consistent times and qualifications by the relay teams and individuals have the Rams looking deep into the season. “The goal for every season is to make our season as long as possible and hopefully compete on the regional or national level,” Fagade said. “We have a lot of work to do to get there, but those are definitely our long term goals.”
The men’s team had a strong day as well. Junior Jonathan Annelli and sophomore Mike Turi dominated in the 5000 meter run, with times of 14:53 and 14:57, both personal bests and earning them first and second in competition. Junior Lester Taylor, the second-year transfer from St. Joseph’s, placed first in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:54.58, his best as a Ram. Senior Sam Houston was the last first place finish of the day. His first place finish in the heptathlon was marked by wins in four individual events, including the 1000 meter run, high jump, long jump and shot put.
The Metropolitan Championship was truly a day for Ram seniors. Besides Houston, multiple seniors placed in the top five in their respective races. This included seniors Ryan Polo and Brian Walter, who placed second and fifth in the 1000 meter run, with times of 2:29.40 and 2:31.07, respectively. Seniors Patrick Burke and Kevin Harvey placed fourth and fifth in the 3000 meter run with times of 8:45.05 and 8:45.23, respectively. Senior Sean Collins also earned fifth in the 500 meter run with a time of 1:05.50. In overall competition, the men took fourth place out of the 15 teams that competed.
The Rams look to continue their success indoors this week as they head up to Boston to compete in the Valentine’s Day Classic.
