December 2, 2005 - 1st at Lafayette Invitational
December 2, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Indoor Track
Rider Men 1st of 5, Women 2nd of 5
at Lafayette Invitational
EASTON, Pa.—Overcoming injury. Battling the mental aspect of achieving more than you think you can. Those were the story lines entering the 2005-06 opener for the Rider men’s and women’s indoor track teams at Lafayette Friday. And what would a story be without a happy ending as the men finished first of five teams and the women a close second of five, breaking two school records in the process.
Just think if the team was at 100%.
“I was very happy with what we were able to accomplish tonight,” said acting head coach Rob Pasquariello. Our goal coming in to the meet was to be competitive and I think we were.”
For the women’s team, junior Jazmine Fenlator (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) won the weight throw with Rider record and ECAC qualifying throw of 54’1”. Fenlator also won the shot put (13.53m). “I think it was really good that the whole team did well to open the season,” said Fenlator, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic team as a sophomore. “It was great being back and healthy.” Fenlator under went summer surgery for a bone spur in her shoulder that was tearing the muscle. “Since I’m not at 100% yet, better things are to come.”
Freshman Kelly Kajunski (Glenmore, Pa./Downington East), in her first collegiate indoor meet won the high jump in a Rider record and ECAC qualifying height of 5’7” and junior Danielle Holmes (Hackensack, N.J./Holy Angels) won the triple jump (10.88m). “I didn’t expect to set a school record in my first meet,” said Kajunski. “I trusted the coaches that I was ready to compete. This is a really good start for the team, everyone has been working very hard in practice and a lot of the team set personal bests today.”
For the Rider men, freshman Desmond Hamilton (Pennsauken, N.J./Pennsauken) won the long jump (6.83m), junior Doug Beck (Branchburg, N.J./Somerville) won the shot put (50’9.5”) and senior Jamaal Harris (Beverly, N.J./Palmyra) won the 300 yard dash (32.26).
“I’ve been training really hard in practice,” said junior Doug Beck who was an NCAA regional qualifier last spring. “I really wanted to break 50 feet in the shot but it was a matter of overcoming the mental aspect of can I really do that. As I get closer to the Rider school record and the IC4A qualifying mark, I realized that I do have the ability to reach that goal.”
The men winning the meet and the women doing well is a good spring board as the Broncs face more tough competition at the Fordham Christmas Invitational December 9.
“The team is coming together well,” added Beck who was on the MAAC All-Academic team as a sophomore. “The team spirit is good and the moral is high. We have injured teammates and they were here with us, cheering us on, helping keep score and that helped push everyone to do better. The coaches pushed us hard in practice, telling us 'not to settle, you can do better' because as an athlete, you can tend to underestimate what you think you can do.”
“We want to compete, and do better with each meet,” added coach Pasquariello.
Two team records and a win with the team not close to 100%. This chapter of the 2005-06 story does indeed have a happy ending.
-RU-
Team Scores: Men: Rider 166.50, Lafayette 111, St. Joseph’s 97, East Stroudsburg 76.50, Moravian 66.
Team Scores: Women: Lafayette 165, Rider 141, St. Joseph’s 110, East Stroudsburg 73, Moravian 15.
