Key Performances Earn Athletes Spots in N.E. DIII Championships
May 01, 2007
With a number of meets having been washed out, the Emmanuel College outdoor track and field team is making the most out of every event it has left on its schedule. With that said, a few strong performances have already provided the Saints with a positive outlook heading into the championship portion of their schedule.
Junior Brittany Bushman, a former star javelin thrower in high school, opened her first collegiate track and field season with much success, setting the school record in the javelin and qualifying for the New England Division III and ECAC Championship meets in the process. Despite the number of years she has spent away from the sport, Head Coach Tony DaRocha feels confident that by the end of the season, Bushman will be finding her old form.
“It’s been three years since she threw, so it’s a matter of getting her comfortable and back into a rhythm,” he said. “She’s in the hunt. If she can get throws consistently in the 120-foot range, she’ll be one of the top six or seven throwers in New England.”
Teammate Christine Gaspar will be accompanying Bushman to the New England Championship, after claiming victory in the 10k at Tufts University Snowflake Classic on March 31st. The sophomore qualified for the regional championship with a time of 41 minutes, 39.52 seconds.
Most recently, junior Rob Allen also qualified for New Englands in the 200-meter sprint (22.98). A talented hurdler and jumper, Allen has been limited to the 200 because of knee injuries. Despite recently discovering he will have to have another surgery for an ACL injury, Allen has remained adamant about finishing the outdoor season, a respectable effort certainly appreciated by his coach.
“Most people wouldn’t continue to do it, but he’s a pretty tough character,” said DaRocha. “He just wants to go out there and do whatever he can.”
Other notables so far this season include school record-setting performances by a number of athletes. Cat Lariviere set the Emmanuel mark in the 1500-meter run with a time of 5:17.88, while Phillip Meagher earned the record in the shot put with a throw of 33-10 1/4. Brian Pecchia (javelin) and Brett Adell (hammer) recently got into the record book at the UMass Dartmouth Classic on April 14th with throws of 136-6 and 74-7, respectively.
The Saints will close out their regular season schedule on April 29th at the Brown University Invitational. The New England Division III Championship will be held on May 5th at Tufts.