April 12, 2010

Results

Seniors Doug Caves (Oxford, MA), Ruben Sanca (Boston, MA) and Robert Liekweg (Salem, NH) each won events and set meet and facility records to lead UMass Lowell at it’s own George Davis Track & Field Invitational Saturday at the Cushing Field Complex.

The non-scoring meet drew schools from all three NCAA divisions as well as many athletes representing postgraduate track and field clubs in and around the Northeast.

Caves captured the 400 meter dash in 47.48 and bested his own meet/facility record of 47.91 set in 2007.

Caves was among three River Hawks in the top seven places as freshman Craig Bennett (Milton, MA) placed fourth in 49.74 seconds and freshman Evan White (Tewksbury, MA) seventh in 50.52.

White also ran legs on UMass Lowell’s 4X400 and 4X100 meter relays. He ran a 50.5-second leg on the 4X400 team, which placed first in 3:24.30, edging Saint Rose (3:25.32) and Wheaton (3:28.29).

Joining him were sophomores Scott Cannistraro (Littleton, MA), who ran a 51.8-second split and Josh Schussler (Wilbraham, MA) a 50.9 leg; and freshman David Brown (Chelmsford, MA), who ran a 51.2 leg.

White also led the 4X100 team to third place in 43.50 seconds. Joining him were freshmen Josh Adams (Methuen, MA), Ryan Perkins (Lynnfield, MA) and John Colombo (Littleton, MA).

Sanca won the two-mile race with a sterling time of 8:56.53 edging former UMass Lowell standout Nate Jenkins (1999-04), who placed second in 8:58.38. Sanca’s result bested the previous meet/facility record of 9:03.85 set by another former standout Rex Radloff in 2008.

Liekweg captured the 400 meter hurdles and set a meet record with a time of 54.03, eclipsing the previous mark of 54.23 set by current UMass Lowell junior Donte Brown (Raynham, MA), achieved in 2008.

Liekweg was one of three River Hawks in the top five places as senior Justin Oliver (Lowell, MA) placed fourth in 56.72 seconds and junior Matt Blazon (Lowell, MA) fifth in 56.95.

Blazon also did well in the 110 meter hurdles, placing fifth in 15.60 seconds.

Junior Cory Murray (Methuen, MA) won his third shot put title in as many meets with a throw of 49 feet, 7.75 inches, nearly 1.5 feet ahead of Michael Page of Northeastern, who threw 48’ 2.5’’.

Senior William Nguidjoi (Lawrence, MA) was the runner-up in the triple jump with a distance of 44’ 7.5’’, behind only Maurice Calenda of AIC who won with a leap of 45’ 6.5’’. Nguidjoi also took third in the long jump with a leap of 21’ 10.0’’.

Several athletes will compete at the Mount San Antonio College Relays Thursday through Saturday while the remainder of the team will head to Princeton University for the Larry Ellis Invitational.