May 6, 2006 - Women 1st / Men 2nd after Day One - MAAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships
College Track & Field
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships
Rider Women 1st, Men 2nd after Day One
LAWRENCEVILLE--The Rider women lead the pack and the men are currently second after the first day of the two-day Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships, hosted by Rider. The majority of the events take place Sunday. “Today went very well,” said Rider coach Rob Pasquariello. “On the women’s side, it is always nice to be leading after the first day, and on the men’s side, this is the closest we’ve ever been to Manhattan after the first day.”
On Saturday, Rider freshman Desmond Hamilton (Pennsauken) won the men’s long jump (7.02m) despite being sick all day Friday. “We told Desmond maybe he should be sick more often,” said Pasquariello. “Desmond has unlimited potential, on the track and in the jumps,” said Pasquariello.
“I had food poisoning or a stomach virus, I’m not sure which, but I was pretty much out of it yesterday,” said Hamilton. “But there was never a doubt that I would be competing today. Winning the long jump was a bit of a surprise today because I was so sick, but I’m okay now.” Hamilton is scheduled to compete in five more events on Sunday. “The 200 is probably my favorite event
“As a freshman he came in very confident, all the schools wanted him, and he has done everything we have asked of him. With his attitude and talent he is going to be something special.”
Hamilton was also a standout basketball player at Pennsauken, earning all-conference honors, but gave up basketball his senior year to concentrate on his true love, track & field. “I had to concentrate on track 7 field so I could get a scholarship,” Hamilton remembers. “there were a few schools recruiting me, but I really liked it here at Rider. The coaching staff and members of the team really made me feel comfortable here.”
“Desmond does everything you ask of him, and is willing to do whatever it takes to improve,” said Pasquariello. “You can’t ask more than that.”
Also for the Rider men senior Adam Kucinski (Erial, N.J./Highland Regional) won the javelin (54.36m) and placed third in the long jump (6.95m). “Adam is such a great athlete,” said Pasquariello. “He is primarily a pole vaulter and a long jumper, who happens to throw the javelin in his spare time.”
Rider senior Mechea Medine (Pittstown, N.J./Delaware Valley Regional) won the women’s long jump (5.34m) for the third time in four years, after placing runner-up last spring. Medine is the Rider record holder in the outdoor long jump, and won the MAAC indoor long jump in 2004 and 2005, before finishing runner-up this past winter.
Sophomore Rebecca Clatch (Drums, Pa./Hazelton Area) won the women’s javelin (39.42m), while sophomore Andrew Dagenais (Glen Rock) placed second in the men’s javelin (50.84m).
Sophomore John Smith (Cliffwood Beach, N.J./Matawan), the star of the Rider cross country team in the fall, placed second in the 10,000m (32:42.21).
Freshman Andrea Campbell (Somers Point/Mainland Regional) placed second in the 3,000m steeplechase (11:41.03), junior Jazmine Fenlator (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) placed second in the hammer (50.34m).
Senior Krystal Daniels (Brooklyn, N.Y./South Shore) placed third in the women’s hammer (45.58m), freshman Tabatha Haskins (Medford/Shawnee) placed third in the long jump (5.32m), and senior Jen Marcella (Jackson) placed third in the javelin (36.40m)
Junior Katie O’Connor (Forked River/Lacey Twp.) placed fourth in the long jump (5.31m), senior Margaret Shipman (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) placed fourth in the hammer (42.92m) and sixth in the javelin (34.30m), senior Ashley Miller (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) placed fifth in the long jump (5.08m) and junior Laura Carpenter (Englishtown, N.J./St. John Vianney) placed sixth in the 10,000m (43:12.51).
Junior Danny Enck (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) placed fifth in both the hammer (52.04m) and the javelin (47.30m), senior Matt Ciociola (Clementon/Bishop Eustace) placed seventh in the 10,000m (34:56.13), junior Doug Beck (Branchburg/Somerville) placed seventh in the hammer (44.94m), sophomore Paul Matuszak (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) placed seventh in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (10:20.62) and freshman Evan Chromczak (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley) placed eighth in the 10,000m (35:11.12).
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