By Bryan Kiel

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The track team concluded a busy week this past Sunday with two meets under its belt.  As the team prepares itself for the Atlantic 10 Championship next weekend, top finishes at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia and at the Brick City Classic in Newark, N.J. give a hopeful indication of what is to come in the championship meets over the next few weeks. Strong performances from David Fajoyomi and the men’s and women’s 4×800 team were the highlights of the competition in Philadelphia, while five Rams took first in their respective events in Newark, N.J.

Thousands of athletes from over 60 countries competed at the 120th installment of the Penn Relays last week at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.  Fordham competed in the collegiate level, and many Rams posted season-best times.  Junior Kristen Stuart posted the first time in the 400 meter hurdles, placing 26th with a time of 1:01.82.  Junior Jonathan Annelli posted a PR of 9:10.82 in the 3000 meter steeplechase, good for 15th overall.  Seniors Titi Fagade, Averie Sheppard, Stuart and sophomore Danielle Rowe competed in the 4×400 relay.  The team won its heat with a time of 3:52.39, but placed 44th overall and was knocked out of competition.

On Saturday, Fordham competed in three championship competitions. The 4×800 men’s relay team, comprised of freshman Devin Rocks as well as juniors Lester Taylor, Jonathan Annelli and Daniel Green, took 19th overall with a time of 7:43.34.  The 4×800 women’s team did even better, taking home sixth place with a time of  8:50.90.  Fordham featured Fagade, Staurt and juniors Melissa Higgins and Mara Lieberman in the race against some of the top schools in the country including Villanova, Oregon, Tennessee, Georgetown and Princeton.  The final competitor was senior David Fajoyomi, whose height of 7’1 ¼” was fourth overall.  Fajoyomi’s jump just missed the school record by ¼ of an inch, set by Barry Cantrell in 1996.

“It’s always a great opportunity to get to run in the fast heat with some of the fastest half-milers in the country,” said Higgins. “We finished sixth, better than last year, but we are hoping and focusing on getting even faster times.”

Sunday’s meet in Newark featured the rest of the squad in a smaller competition hosted by New Jersey Institute of Technology.  The meet featured many of Fordham’s throwers, including three out of their five wins in field events.  Junior Pat McGuire won the hammer throw with a season-best mark of 38.7 m, edging out fellow junior Austin Ruiz by a little over one meters. Freshman Nicholas Regan won the javelin throw with a distance of 56.68 m and Ruiz won the shot put with a mark of 15.13 m.  Freshman Hailey took second in the hammer throw with a distance of 34.74 m and second in the discus with a distance of 31.50 m.

Both the men’s and women’s 4×800 relay teams won their races, with times of 8:15.71 and 9:39.89, respectively.  Fordham also had a plethora of second place finishers, including the 4×100 relay team with a time of 52.49.  Senior Christina Vivinetto led a pack of Fordham runners for second place in the women’s 1500 m with a time of 4:50.60, while senior Joe Hartnett came in second with a time of 4:07.74, just .2 seconds behind Zakaria Fouad of NJIT.  Other Fordham runners who came in second place include junior Elise Tigani in the 400 m dash and senior Brian Walter in the 800 m with a time of 1:58.90.

The rest of the season looks bright for Fordham.  As Fordham suits up for A-10s this weekend at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, many Rams have still other competitions coming up.

“I am definitely looking to have some season best times,” Stuart said.  “The competition is always fierce at these meets, but I’m hoping to run fast and hopefully have some top place finishes.”

“We have a couple of girls still hoping to qualify for regionals, and who will head to UVA for a last chance meet the weekend after A10s,” said Higgins. “Then comes ECAC/IC4As, where the 4×800 will fight to defend our title as ECAC champs, and hopefully break the ECAC record.”

Although graduation looms for some Rams on the track team, their Fordham career might not be over just yet.  With some top times and qualifications, Fordham may just have a presence in Eugene, Ore., the site of this year’s NCAA national championship in June.