2009-10 Meet-by-Meet Recaps
December 5, 2009 – Cornell Relays
The Syracuse University track and field teams opened the 2009-2010 indoor season at the Cornell Relays in Ithaca, N.Y. on Saturday. Senior Melissa Romero turned in the day's top performance for the Orange, as she was the only athlete to register a first place finish.
Romero earned her first place finish in the high jump with a leap of 1.65m.
The women's team also turned in two second place finishes in Saturday's events. Junior Lareea Chrisholm posted the first with a time of 7.75 in the finals of the 60m dash. The other second place performance for the women of SU was earned by the Syracuse "A" team, who finished with a time of 9:32.18 in the 4 x 800m relay. The "A" relay team was made up of seniors Deanna Schmitt and Mary Elizabeth Long, and freshmen Christine Zivica and Roseda Lo.
Other finishers for the women included graduate student Nana Sang-Bender and senior Lynn Mundy, who took third and fourth place, respectively, in the 3,000m run.
For the men, junior Kwaku Boah placed sixth overall in the shot put with a hurl of 13.86m. Freshman Frank Taylor finished seventh in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.83 and his mark of 6.50m earned him ninth place in the long jump. The Syracuse "A" relay team, which consisted of sophomores Kris Kolewe and Ryan Ellis, and freshmen Jack Cogan and Tyler McCully, posted a seventh place finish in the 4 x 800m race with a time of 8:12.39.
Additional individual finishes included a seventh place performance by Will Watson in the triple jump (13.28m), and a ninth place finish by Kris Kolewe in the 500m dash (1:08.42).
January 16, 2010 – Syracuse Welcome Back Invitational
The Syracuse women's track & field team finished with seven first-place titles, while the men yielded four event crowns at the Syracuse Welcome Back Invitational at Manley Field House.
On the women's side, senior Stephanie Slekis finished first in the 3,000-meter run (9:56.79), while junior Tricia Wardwell (11:30.48) turned in 16th-place. Freshman Charma Harris was the lone Orange representative in the 55-meter dash and finished first with a time of 7.46. Junior Lareea Chisholm and freshman Kelly McCarthy placed first (59.17) and fifth (1:01.95) in the 400-meter dash, respectively.
The women had the most participants in the 800-meter run, as four Orange comprised the top five. Seniors Nana Sang Bender (2:16.52) and Beth Long (2:17.82) took the top two spots, while freshman Roseda Lo (2:24.61) and senior Lynne Mundy (2:26.29) finished in fourth in fifth place, respectively. Senior Melissa Romero led the high jump with a leap of 1.65m, while junior Leah Testa and sophomore Kelsey Rubeor rounded out the women's champions. Testa had a 3.40m mark in the pole vault and Rubeor had a 13.0m finish in the shot put.
For the men, sophomore Steve Murdock was the champion in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:37.08, while sophomore Matthew Callanan came out on top in the 55-meter hurdles (7.68). Syracuse was strongly represented in the 1-mile run, as the Orange turned in the top three finishes in senior Trevor Wiseman (4:15.40), sophomore Corey Robinson (4:15.62) and junior Michael Brocks (4:20.15). Junior Kwaku Boah competed in two events, including the shot put (15.15m) weight throw (16.99m), where he finished first and second, respectively. Freshman Will Watson was the lone Orange in the long jump and placed second with a mark of 6.50m.
January 22-23, 2010 – Cornell Upstate Challenge
The Syracuse University women's track and field team took home four first place titles at the Upstate Challenge hosted by Cornell. Junior Evan Stivala led the men of Syracuse, taking home the only crown for his team in the men's heptathlon high jump with a mark of 1.93m.
The women were led by seniors Melissa Romero, Annabelle Pellerin, Maegan Krifchin, and Uhunoma Osazuwa. Romero and Pellerin tied for first place in the high jump with marks of 1.65m. Krifchin scored the title in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:56.37, while Osazuwa was crowned the winner of the women's pentathlon high jump with a leap of 1.67m.
Several other members of the women's jumping squad also had strong performances at the Upstate Challenge, including sophomore Pricilla Ilarraza and freshman Erica Belanger, who placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the high jump competition. Junior Leah Testa earned a mark of 3.30m, finishing sixth overall in the pole vault. Freshman jumper Aubree Mercure placed sixth in the long jump, as well as eighth in the triple jump.
As for the women runners, graduate student Beth Long earned second place in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:15.41, while senior Stefanie Slekis took home took home second in the one mile run. Junior Lareea Chisholm legged out a third place finish in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.70. The Syracuse "A" relay team, comprised of Chisholm, Long, Belanger, and freshman Kelly Anne McCarthy, finished the 4 x 400-meter relay with a time of 4:13.15, placing fourth overall.
On the men's side, sophomores Kris Kolewe and Ryan Ellis finished second and third in the 800-meter run, respectively. Junior Greg Manning-Smith legged out a third place finish in the one mile run with a time of 4:26.11. Sophomore Roman Acosta also earned third place in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:47.07. Freshman Jon Aziz recorded a time of 8:45.00 in the same event, placing seventh overall.
January 30, 2010 – Terrier Invitational
Senior Maegan Krifchin and sophomore Natalie Busby led the Syracuse University track and field teams at the Terrier Invitational hosted by Boston University on Saturday, Jan. 30. The veteran distance runners each earned a second place finish in their respective events at the BU Track and Tennis Center.
Krifchin legged out her second place finish in the one mile run with a time of 4:54.00. Busby took second in the 5,000-meter run, finishing with a time of 16:52.01.
Senior Stefanie Slekis and junior Catherine DeSarle also represented the Orange women in the 5,000-meter race. DeSarle (17:00.02) and Slekis (17:00.39) finished just behind Busby, placing third and fourth, respectively. Junior Cassie White (18:07.64) finished 19th overall in the 5,000-meter, while newcomer Kimberly Spano (18:09.17) placed 20th.
The Orange was well represented in the 3,000-meter run, as the women took home four of the top 15 spots. Sophomore Heather Shephens paved the way for the rest of her teammates, finishing seventh (9:31.99) overall. Junior Katie Hursey, who had a standout cross country season for SU, finished ninth (9:34.58), while sophomore Lauren Penney (9:34.59) rounded out the top 10. Junior Rebekah MacKay placed 14th with a time of 9:47.68.
Graduate student Beth Long and freshman Roseda Lo competed in SU's shortest event in Boston, the 800-meter run. Long finished 13th with a time of 2:16.16, while her young teammate placed 20th with a time of 2:18.75.
On the men's side, sophomore Corey Robinson led the Orange, turning in his team's best finish for the day. Robinson placed third in the 3,000-meter with a time of 8:07.31. Senior Brad Miller finished just behind Robinson with a time of 8:08.45, taking fourth place. Sophomore Pat Dupont (8:24.97), junior Michael Brocks (8:27.63), and sophomore Zach Rivers (8:55.00) also represented the Orange in the 3,000-meter, finishing 19th, 26th, and 59th, respectively.
The Syracuse men's squad had the most entries in the day's longest competition, the 5,000-meter run. Orange cross country All-American Tito Medrano (14:13.85) and senior Jay Koloseus (14:14.24) were the first runners to cross the finish line for the Orange, placing fifth and sixth, respectively. Senior Dan Busby (14:17.28) placed ninth, just ahead of teammates Griff Graves (14:18.96) and Patrick Geoghegan (14:21.18). Sophomore Steve Murdock (14:23.17) took 13th, while Forest Misenti (14:26.54) finished 16th.
Junior Erin Schirm represented SU in the one mile run, placing 20th with a time of 4:13.22.
February 5-6, 2010 – Syracuse Invitational
Veteran high jumpers Annabelle Pellerin, Melissa Romero, and Uhunoma Osazuwa led the Syracuse University track and field team at the SU Invite, the team's second of two home meets this season, at Manley Field House on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 5-6.
Pellerin, Romero, and Osazuwa took home the top three spots in the completion's high jump event, all earning BIG EAST qualifying marks of 1.68m.
Also for the women jumpers, junior Leah Testa was crowned the pole vault champion with a mark of 3.60m, while freshman Tara Brenner finished ninth. In the triple jump, sophomore Ieva Staponkute and freshman Aubree Mercure represented the Orange, placing second and fourth, respectively. Osazuwa also competed in the long jump and the 55m hurdles, placing first overall in both with a leap of 5.83m and a time of 8.63, respectively.
For the women runners, freshman Sarah Pagano earned the 3,000-meter crown, finishing with a time of 9:57.00. Fellow freshman Christine Zivica placed first in the 800-meter run. Graduate student Beth Long was the 400-meter dash champion with a time of 1:00.14.
On the men's side, senior Bernard Bush took home the crown in the long jump with a mark of 7.01m. Bush also competed in the triple jump, placing seventh. Junior Kwaku Boah represented the Orange in the shot put and weight throw, finishing second and third, respectively.
In the men's running events, freshman Zach Rivers was crowned the champion in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:35.14.Sohpomore Roman Acosta finished just behind his teammate, taking second place. In the mile run, senior Jeff Scull, sophomore Steve Murdock, and sophomore Greg Manning-Smith placed second, third, and fourth, respectively. Freshman Colin Reno represented the Orange in the 55m dash, taking third, while sophomore Kris Kolewe competed in the 800-meter run, placing fourth.
February 12, 2010 – Binghamton Triangular
The Syracuse University track and field teams secured nine titles at the Binghamton Triangular on Friday, Feb. 12. The men's team won a total of five first place finishes, while the women claimed four.
Junior Kwaku Boah led the men's squad, earning two first place finishes. Boah won the weight throw crown with a mark of 15.83m, as well as the shot put title with a hurl of 14.83m.
Other Orange winners included graduate student Bernard Bush, who took first in the long jump with an IC4A-qualifying leap of 7.18m, and sophomore Matt Callanan, who won the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.68. Junior Shamel Lewis was crowned the 55-meter dash champion with a time of 6.40, while teammate Antoine Clark finished just behind Lewis taking second place (6.46).
Sophomore Ryan Ellis legged out a second place finish for the Orange in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:00.32, while Evan Stivala's mark of 1.85m earned the junior second in the high jump.
On the women's side, graduate student Uhunoma Osazuwa led her squad with a first and second place finish. Osazuwa took home the long jump crown with an ECAC-qualifying mark of 6.05m. She placed second in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.27.
Senior Melissa Romero won the high jump title with a mark of 1.60m. Fellow senior Annabelle Pellerin finished just behind Romero, taking second place. Senior Lynne Mundy earned first place in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:37.25. Junior Leah Testa placed second in the pole vault with a mark of 3.40m, while junior Kelsey Rubeor claimed the title in the shot put with a mark of 12.53m.
February 20, 2010 – BIG EAST Indoor Championships Day One
The Syracuse University track and field teams finished day one of the BIG EAST Indoor Championships in third place. The Orange men currently sit behind Notre Dame and Louisville heading into Sunday's events at the Armory in New York, N.Y., while the women trail West Virginia and Louisville.
For the women, senior Uhunoma Osazuwa finished the pentathlon in second place with 3,942 points, earning NCAA Provisional standards. Junior Katie Hursey also attained the NCAA Provisional benchmark in the 5,000-meter run, when she took fourth place with a time of 16:40.95. Teammate Rebekah Mackay finished just behind Hursey in fifth place, while Catherine DeSarle earned seventh and Natalie Busby took 12th. MacKay, DeSarle, and Busby each finished with an ECAC qualifying time. In the distance medley, SU's team of Christine Zivica, Roseda Lo, Beth Long, and Sarah Pagano finished eighth with an ECAC qualifying time of 11:52.13.
In the jumping events, Osazuwa won the long jump crown with an ECAC qualifying mark of 6.07m. Junior Leah Testa finished 11th with a mark of 3.45m in the pole vault.
On the men's side, junior Evan Stivala sits in seventh place with 2,690 points after four events of the heptathlon. Sophomore Tito Medrano placed third in the 5,000-meter run with a NCAA Provisional qualifying time of 14:06.56. Teammates Curtis Bixler and Jay Koloseus finished behind Medrano in sixth and seventh place, respectively, meeting IC4A qualifying standards. The distance medley team of Erin Schrim, Da'Mon Merkerson, Kris Kolewe, and Brad Miller took third with an IC4A qualifying time of 9:53.67.
Graduate student Bernard Bush attained an IC4A qualifying mark in the long jump, finishing sixth with a leap of 7.32m. Junior Kwaku Boah also earned an IC4A qualifying mark with a hurl of 18.85m in the weight throw.
February 21, 2010 – BIG EAST Indoor Championships Day Two
The Syracuse University women's track and field team posted their best mark since 2006 as they finished seventh out of 13 conference challenges at the BIG EAST Indoor Championship at the Armory Track on Feb. 21. The men's contingent put forth a seventh place showing at the the weekend's events.
The Orange displayed eight All-BIG EAST performances in the conference competition. Graduate student Michael LeBlanc and senior Uhunoma Osazuwa were SU's two champions in the 60-meter dash and long jump, respectively. LeBlanc finished with an IC4A-qualifying time of 6.72, while Osazuwa notched Syracuse's best mark in the field with an ECAC-qualfiying leap of 6.07. Osazuwa also received all-conference laurels in the pentathlon with an NCAA-provisional qualifying mark of 3,942. She tallied second place in the 60-meter hurdles (8.67), high jump (1.74) and long jump (5.65) to aid her strong performance over the two-day span.
Among the others receiving conference laurels were freshman Amadou Gueye, sophomore Tito Medrano, who enjoyed second and third place performances, respectively. Junior Kwaku Boah took home third in the weight throw with an IC4A-qualifying mark of 18.85. On the women's side, junior Flings Owusu-Agyapong earned third in the 60-meter dash (7.44), while junior Katie Hursey (9:24.81) and sophomore Heather Stephens (9:26.40) finished second and third in the 3,000-meter, respectively.
Junior Evan Stivala finished eighth in the heptathlon with a combined 4,597 points, while freshman Will Watson earned a mark of 13.48m in the triple jump, placing 15th.
For the sprinters, junior standout Jarret Eaton earned an NCAA Provisional time in the preliminary competition. In the 4 x 400-meter relay, the Syracuse team comprised of Da'Mon Merkerson, Shamel Lewis, Tyler McCully, and Antoine Clark finished 13th overall.
