December 9, 2005 - at Fordham Christmas Invitational
December 9, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Track & Field
Rider at Fordham Christmas Invitational
BRONX, NY—With meets on back-to-back days, Rider split its squad, taking half to Fordham Friday and the other half to Princeton Saturday. “We did okay,” said Rider coach Rob Pasquariello. “With the split squad we wanted to take a look at the younger kids, find out about them, and they performed well.” Coach P. also found out that he has a pretty good pole vaulter in sophomore Rebecca Clatch.
Clatch (Drums, PA/Hazelton Area) is the Rider record holder and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion in the javelin, an outdoor event. “I wanted to compete indoors, so I asked Coach P if I could try pole vaulting last year, and he said okay,” said Clatch, who tied her personal record in the pole vault, placing second with a height of 9’6” at Fordham’s Christmas Invitational Friday, held at the Vincent T. Lombardi Center Field House.
“9’6” is very good for a beginner,” said Pasquariello. “She’s an outstanding athlete who shows a lot of potential in this event. Usually a beginner has some experience in tumbling, either gymnastics or cheer leading, but she didn’t. That’s very unusual.”
“I wanted to compete during the winter, but I’m not big enough to throw weights, and I hate to run, so I choose the pole vault,” Clatch said. “You have to run some to get the momentum going to get up in the air, but not far. I still prefer the javelin, but I’m enjoying this as well.”
Also for the Rider women, freshman Liz Spokony (Woodstown) also took second with a PR, in the triple jump (34’ 9.5”).
For the Rider men, freshman Vadim Menzorov (Jackson) placed fourth in the 200m (23.7) and fifth in the high hurdles (8.4). Sophomore Ryan Donohue (Freehold) placed second in the 1000 (2:39.5) and freshman Evan Campbell (Wayne/Wayne Valley) was third in the 1000 (2:39.8).
Sophomore Gary Morris (Clay, NY/Cicero-North) placed fourth in the triple jump (41’ 4.5”), freshman Tom Planer (Cranford) was fourth in the high jump (6’0”),
Also for the Rider women, junior Danielle Holmes (Hackensack/Holy Angels) placed third in the long jump (15’ 5.5”) and third in the triple jump (34’ 7.5”) and freshman Megan Crowe (Philadelphia, PA/St. Hubert’s) was fourth in the 3000 (10:55.4) and senior Maggie Shipman (Carteret) placed fourth in the shot put (36’ 5.5”) and seventh in the wt. throw (41’ 10”).
Rider competes again Saturday at the Princeton New Year’s Invitational.
-RU-
