College Indoor Track and Field
Rider at IC4A/ECAC Championships
Soroko All-East / Gonzalez Sets Rider Record in the Mile
BOSTON, Mass.-The Rider men's indoor track and field team is competing this weekend at the 89th annual IC4A Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center with the women's team competing at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships hosted by Boston University.
For Rider on Saturday at IC4As, junior Michael Soroko (Kinnelon) earned All-East honors with a win in the 3,000 meter (8:13.42). "For Mike to win the event is absolutely tremendous," said head coach Bob Hamer. "You look at the history of the meet and all of the teams that are here and what he did was excellent. It is a wonderful accomplishment."
Also for the Rider men, junior Christian Gonzalez (Somerset/Franklin Twp.) was eighth in the mile trials with a Rider record time of 4:06.44 and freshman Greg Wesh (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) placed 13th in the 1,000 meter trials (2:29.47). Gonzalez will compete in the finals of the mile on Sunday.
"Chris has an opportunity for All-East honors on Sunday," Hamer said. "Overall I think the younger athletes struggled a little bit and Mike and Chris showed the veteran experience of coming here last year. They were steadier in their performances."
For the Rider women at ECACs, senior Alicia Price (Voorhees/Eastern) placed 11th in the shot put (13.60m).
"Overall on the women's side, it was a little disappointing," Hamer said. "We were a little over matched, especially in the relays."
Also for the men's team, junior John Clark (Pennsville) was 22nd in the weight throw (16.06m) and freshman Daequan Kim (Bordentown) placed 27th in the 55 meter trials (6.58) and 32nd in the 200 meter trials (22.15).
The women's 4x400 relay of junior Shaylah Counts (Newark/Malcolm Shabazz), freshman Lauren Findley (Hallstead, Pa./Blue Ridge), freshman Erin McMullin (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) and freshman Ashley Hunter (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) finished 21st in the preliminaries with a time of 4:00.19.
"Ashley ran a great anchor leg for us," Hamer said. "She ran in the 58s which is the fastest that she has run."
The women's 4x800 relay of junior Johanna Clarke (Laurelton, N.Y./Mary Louis Academy), junior Chelsea Callan (Hazlet/Raritan), sophomore Kristen Perrine (Brick/Brick Memorial) and sophomore Heather Giovagnoli (Royersford, Pa./Spring Ford) placed 20th in the preliminaries with a time of 9:28.19.
The men's 4x800 relay of sophomore David South (Sergeantsville/Hunterdon Central), Wesh, freshman John Hill (Voorhees/Eastern) and freshman Robert Landgraf (Abington, Pa./Abington) placed 20th in the trials (7:59.06).
The men's 4x400 relay of sophomore Adam Haun (Holland, Pa./Council Rock South), sophomore Ron Moore (Nashville, Tenn./John Overton), freshman James Burroughs (West Orange) and Kim finished 28th in the trials (3:21.08).
Competition continues on Sunday.
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