Alden Invitational Results | BU Season Opener Results

BOSTON, Mass. – UMass Lowell distance runner Paul Hogan (Burlington, Mass.) opened the indoor track and field season, Saturday, in style running to a school record in the 5,000-meters on the track at the Track and Tennis Center in the Boston University Season Opener. 

Hogan, a graduate student in his final year of collegiate competition, clocked in at 13-minutes, 53.57-seconds.  It was good for fifth place in a field that included top collegiate and club runners.  In setting the record Hogan erased the name of UMass Lowell running legend Ruben Sanca.  Sanca set the school record, 13:56.46 in 2010.

Hogan told his coach that it was "the best I've ever felt on a track in his life."

"We could see it coming; he's been running great," according to UMass Lowell Head Coach Gary Gardner.  "The scary thing is that you can see where he could drop another eight to ten-seconds in that race."

Hogan appeared to take his running to a whole other level during the outdoor season a year ago.  He may be in the process of doing that again right now.  Hogan won both the five and ten-thousand meter titles at the America East Outdoor Championships last May and opened this year of competition with wins at the America East and NCAA Northeast Regional Cross Country Championships.  Gardner says it's all about the mental side of the running game.

"It's a mental thing, it's not physical," according to Gardner.  "Now he knows he belongs with those guys.  He knows that he is as good as any of them.  His confidence is totally there.  He's not afraid of anybody."

The challenge for Hogan, now, is qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships.  Only 16 runners go in any one event.  The coach is targeting a February trip to the west coast to find the competition needed to push Hogan's time even faster. 

"He's earned the chance to be given the opportunity to compete for the time needed to qualify," said Gardner.

Junior Christopher Alfond (Ashby, Mass.), returning from an injury that knocked him out of the cross country season, also turned in a personal best performance in the 3,000-meters on the track at BU.

"I'm one-thousand percent glad that we decided to run the two of them at BU," said UMass Lowell Head Coach Gary Gardner.  "They both turned in extraordinary performances."

Alfond earned a sixth place finish in the 3,000-meters with a time of 8:18.84.  His run chopped six seconds off his personal best at the distance.

"I wasn't sure whether he was ion over his head or not," said Gardner who felt he'd taken a bit of a chance in entering Alfond in the event.  "He's very talented and has the utmost confidence in his ability.  This was a terrific way to start the season."

Injuries had kept Alfond on the sidelines during the cross country season.  He had not competed since the IC4A Championships last May.  He had been running well in training, but there is a difference between being in shape and being in race shape.

"He's super fit and has looked good training," said Gardner.  "But you don't know how that will translate.  We feel as though he is ready to break through and take it to the next level."

Hogan and Alfond were the only River Hawks competing at BU.  The rest of the track and field brigade was busy at the 33rd Annual Alden Invitational at Brown University's Olney-Margolies Track and both the men and women's teams turned in strong performances.

"This was the first meet of the year and the idea was to get the rust off and get past the first meet jitters," according to Gardner.  "It was like a high-level practice and overall we were very pleased.  Both the men and women are much deeper teams than a year ago.  We filled some holes."

Some familiar names did some familiar things as they shook off the rust and some new names turned in impressive performances.

Grad student Vladimir Popusoi (Greenfield, Mass.) won the pole vault clearing the bar at 15-feet, nine-inches.  Freshman Steven Wilson (Tewksbury, Mass.) was second with a vault of 13-feet, 5 1/4-inches.  UMass Lowell women were two-third of a three-way tie atop the individual standings in the pole vault.  Freshman Rachel Hill (North Reading, Mass.) and junior Jordan Dufresne (Londonderry, N.H.) both cleared nine-feet, 11 3/4-inches.

Grad student Jessica Amedee (Tewksbury, Mass.) matched her personal best in the 60-meter hurdles.  She finished second with a time of 8.99-seconds.  Teammate freshman Kayley Moran (Hackettstown, N.J.) was fourth.  She put up a time of 9.32-seconds.

On the men's side of the event, the 60-meter hurdles shined a light on a couple of new faces who turned in strong performances.  Freshmen Brendan Tumwseigye (Woburn, Mass.) and Mosaab Waheed (Chelmsford, Mass.) finished second and third respectively with times of 8.69 and 8.79-seconds.

Senior Alethia Moore (New Haven, Conn.) sprinted to a second place finish in the 200-meters and fifth place in the 60-meter dash.  She posted times of 26.20 and 7.89-seconds.

Seniors James O'Brien (Stoneham, Mass.) and Hamza Naveed (Anodver, Mass.) each earned second place finishes.  O'Brien in the dash with a time of 6.95-seconds and Naveed in the 300-meters, 35.20-seconds.

Junior Cristina Galvagno (Newton, Mass.) and sophomore Lauren Eddy (Grafton, Mass.) finished third and fourth in the 300-meters with times of 40.89 and 41.50.

Freshman Joseph Young (Shrewsbury, Mass.) grabbed third in the 200-meters posting a time of 22.93.  

River Hawk men took a second and a third in the high jump.  Junior Ian Dolaher (Melrose, Mass.) was second clearing six-feet, 3 1/2-inches.  Freshman Marion Bresko (North Attleboro, Mass.) was third.  He cleared the bar at 6' 1 1/2".

Freshman Elie Kalambay (Lynn, Mass.) was third in the triple jump with a hop, step and leap of 43-feet, one-inch.

Sophomore Patrick Pang earned a third place finish in the weight throw.  His best heave was measured at 54-feet, 4 1/2-inches.

The season has begun, but the team gets a bit of a break.  Action will resume afater the winter holiday break when UMass Lowell competes at both Harvard and Tufts on the weekend of January 11th and 12th.