Both the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams finished in the top five at the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Indoor Championships this past weekend on February 27 and 28, with the men at fifth and women at third.
Day one for the men’s team ended with them at fifth place with 21.5 points, just half a point behind Eastern University. Leading the day was senior Brandon Kiefer, a two-time heptathlon champion. Kiefer finished first through four events, coming second in the long jump, the shot put, and the 60-meters, putting him 21 points ahead of second place. Keeping their dominance, the distance medley relay team of junior Ryan Paradine, sophomore Enrico Parrella, and first-years Markus Soennichsen and Christopher Reyes came fourth. The 4×200 meter relay team of senior Connor Robinson, juniors Tyler Hackett and Case Kosiba, and first-year Iyasu Richards took sixth. For field events, first-year Jonathan Mordi took fifth in the high jump and sixth in the long jump, with sophomore William Ladd right behind him at sixth for the high jump.
Kiefer continued with the energy going into day two, winning his third conference heptathlon title, coming seventh, fourth, and first in the 60-meter hurdles, 1,000 meters, and pole vault, respectively. Going into relays, the 4×800 meter relay team of senior Danny Jutras, Parrella, Soennichsen, and Reyes took second, running the second fastest time in Stevens’ history. Ladd and Mordi were also on fire from the day before, with Ladd finishing second in the 60-meter hurdles and clocking a personal record, and Mordi breaking a school record in the triple jump at 14.02 meters. Alongside them was sophomore Joseph Perriello, who took fourth in the 60-meter hurdles and set a new personal record, and senior Mick Barbi at 10th in the 3,000-meters which marked the ninth fastest time in program history. Also running on Saturday was Jutras, who took fourth in the mile, first-year Kane Perry at fifth in shot put, and junior Doug Winant, who clocked in at sixth in the 60-meters.
Day one for the women’s team set them in a tie for eighth at 10 points. Two relays ran, with the distance medley relay team of sophomores Isabella Gabay and Anya Sadowski, and seniors Taylor Enes and Isabel Vogel coming in fourth. The 4×200 meter relay team of seniors Stephanie Ryazanova and Lauren Alley, first-year Caitlyn Adamchuck, and junior Isabella Shanley took seventh, notching the sixth fastest time in program history. Alongside them, junior Kaitlyn Adams took fifth in the 5,000-meters.
On day two, the Ducks hustled and came out in third place in the end. Shanley placed third in the 400 meters, claiming the final all-conference honor for the women. The 4×400 meter relay team of Adamchuck, Alley, Shanley, and Sadowski, and the 4×800 meter team of Sadowski, Gabay, Enes, and Vogel both took fourth in their relays. Vogel and Sadowski both ran in the 800-meter, finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, and Shanley notched her third top-six finish in the 60-meter hurdles. For field events, senior Alexis Merola and Ryazanova finished second and third in the pole vault, and senior Maggie Previglian came first in the high jump.
The Ducks will be running again at the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference Indoor Championships on March 6 and 7, held at the New York City Armory.
