January 6, 2006 - 5th at Fordham Kick Off Invitational
January 6, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Track & Field
Rider Men First, Women 5th at Fordham’s Kick Off Invitational
NEW YORK, NY—Rider competed in the Fordham Kick Off Invitational at the 168th St. Armory Friday, with the men finishing first of 14 teams, and the women fifth of 13. “With teams like Rutgers, Manhattan and Seton Hall here, winning the meet was one of the farthest things from our minds,” said Rider coach Rob Pasquariello. “After a long period of time off we just tried to put kids in events that they could be successful in, so this is a pleasant surprise.”
For the victorious Rider men, senior Jamaal Harris (Beverly/Palmyra) placed second in both the 60m (6.94) and the 200m (22.43). Harris’ time in the 60 was good enough to qualify for the IC4A Championships. “Jamaal wasn’t even scheduled to run in the 60 tonight,” said Pasquariello. “We had an injury and put him in there at the last moment. He was able to focus, finishing two one-hundredths of a second off of his Rider record time.”
“I like the 60 the most indoor,” said Harris, who won the 55m dash at the 2005 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Indoor Championships. “The intensity of it and the fast pace. I think it is the most taxing of all the events. But my favorite race of all of them is the 100 meter (outdoor). That was the first event I ever ran in high school. My late cousin, Harold Pierce, was a track star and got me interested in the sport my sophomore year at Palmyra, when he was a senior.”
“The dash (100) is Jamaal’s best event,” said Pasquariello. “That and the mile are still the showcase events in the spring, and Jamaal is the two-time defending MAAC Champion.”
Harris was named the Most Outstanding track performer at the 2005 MAAC Outdoor Championships, and holds both the Rider and MAAC Championship records in that event. But it is another accomplishment that is dearest to his heart. “My sophomore year we won All-East honors in the 4 x 100 relay, and that is the fondest memory of my track career so far,” said Harris. “I love the team concept, everyone helping each other. That relay team is a great training group.”
Training for track events and also training for life. A Psychology major, Harris wants to become either a psychologist or a psychiatrist down the road. “I like helping people, I really enjoy it,” said Harris.
Also for the Broncs, senior Ayotunde Owodunni (Sicklerville, N.J./Highland Regional) also qualified for the IC4As in the 500m, finishing fourth in 1:03.92, and junior David Payne (Neptune) won the 200m in 22.32.
Junior Jazmine Fenlator (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) qualified for the ECAC Championship in the shot put with a third place finish (44’8.75”), and senior Carla Wynter (Roselle, N.J./Abraham Clarke) placed second in the 200m (25.93).
Also for the men, sophomore Randy Nixon (Manorville, NY/West Hampton) finished second in the 60m hurdles (8.49) after winning the preliminaries in 8.25. Sophomore Andre Fearon (Newark, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep) finished second in the 1,000m (2:32.32). Junior Doug Beck (Branchburg/Somerville) placed third in the wt. throw (50’), junior Dave Lado (Ridgefield) placed third in the 800m (1:58.18)
Also for the Rider women, junior Allyson Angelo (Brick, N.J./Red Bank Catholic ) placed second in the pole vault (9’4.25”)
Senior Krystle Daniels (Brooklyn, NY/South Shore) placed third in the wt. throw (51’11.75”), freshman Kelly Kajunski (Glenmore, Pa./Downington East ) placed third in the high jump (5’5”), sophomore Savannah Knox (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial ) placed fourth in the 800m (2:23.24), junior Katie O’Connor (Forked River/Lacey Twp.) placed fourth in the high jump (5’5”) and freshman Tabatha Haskins (Medford/Shawnee) placed fifth in the 60m hurdles (9.46).
For the men, senior Adam Kucinski (Erial, N.J./Highland Regional ) placed fourth in the long jump (22’3.5”) and junior Danny Enck (Lititz, Pa./Warwick ) placed fourth in the wt. throw (49’5.75”). Sophomore James Collins (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert ) placed fifth in the 800m (1:58.49), sophomore John Smith (Cliffwood Beach, N.J./Matawan) placed fifth in the 5,000m (15:20.20) and junior Kiel Ridolfino (Crosswicks, N.J./Northern Burlington Reg. ) placed fifth in the pole vault (12’9.5”).
For the women, sophomore Jess Marcasciano (Egg Harbor, N.J./Egg Harbor Twp. ) placed seventh in the triple jump (33’6”), senior Mechea Medine (Pittstown/Delaware Valley) placed eighth in the long jump (16’8”), junior Danielle Holmes (Hackensack/Holy Angels) placed eighth in the triple jump (32’6.25”) and senior Maggie Shipman (Carteret) placed eighth in the shot put (37’1.75”).
Sophomore Paul Matuszak (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan ) placed seventh in the 3,000m (8:51.59), freshman Tom Planer (Cranford) placed sixth in the high jump (6’1.25”) and freshman Tim Cook (Glassboro) placed seventh in the high jump (6’1.25”).
Rider competes again January 13 at the NYC Gotham Cup.
-RU-
Team standings:
Men: Rider 97, Seton Hall 91, SCSY 87, Rutgers 76, Fordham 72, Manhattan 71, St. Joseph’s 50, Long Island 44, Stony Brook 25, New York U. 15, Fairleigh Dickinson 12, Holy Cross 9, Marist 8, Saint Peter’s 1
Women: Rutgers 126, St. John’s 95, St. Joseph’s 93, Seton Hall 78, Rider 53, Fordham 52, SCSU 44, Manhattan 40, Long Island 32, Fairleigh Dickinson 26, Stony Brook 26, Marist 18, Holy Cross 1
