Full Results

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The UMass Lowell track and field teams got a chance, finally, to compete and turned in a solid performance, Saturday, at the Alden Invitational hosted by Brown University at the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center.

"We use it as a way to break the ice and get the kids used to competing," according to UMass Lowell Track and Field Head Coach Gary Gardner.  "It's kind of like a scrimmage, a chance to get your feet wet."

It's the first track meet of the year and it gives athletes who've been training for an extended period a chance to compete against someone other than their teammates.  That said, those who'd been competing during the cross country season were kept on the sidelines.  They are still recovering from a long and testing season.  The coach said he wanted to be "extra cautious" with that group of athletes, the middle distance and distance runners.

For the coaches Saturday was the first opportunity to measure where the training has been effective and where it might need some tweaking.

"It's our first chance to gauge the freshmen and our first chance to gauge what kind of shape our upperclassmen are in," said Gardner.  "It allows us to figure out where we are and what we need to do in our next block of training.  It helps us determine how well they've able to handle what we've done in training."

With that knowledge the coaches can better chart the course ahead.

"What do they need," said Gardner.  "Do they need more speed work, more work to build strength or should we pull back in some areas.  It helps us put together a blueprint for the next few weeks."

Senior Heath King (Amesbury, Mass.) won the pole vault clearing the bar at 15-feet, one-inch.  He was one of two competitors to clear the height, but King took the top spot based on attempts.  It was the first time that King had cleared 15-feet since setting a personal best, 15' 5.5", in April of 2018.

Senior Ian Dolaher (Melrose, Mass.) had a strong opening.  He finished second in the high jump.  He was one of just two people to clear the bar at 6' 7.5".  Nobody jumped higher, but he was placed second based on attempts.

Freshman Evans Oduro (Kumasi, Ghana) finished second in the triple jump and took a fourth place finish in the long jump.  Oduro was marked at 45'1.5" in the triple and 20'9" in the long jump.

Sophomore Hayden Dillow (Franklin, Mass.) earned a third place finish in the shot put with a toss of 48' 11.75".

Freshman Roan Marcano (Methuen, Mass.) made a good first impression with a third place finish in the 500-meter.  Marcano clocked in at one-minute, 05.97-seconds.  Teammate senior Felipe Freitas (Billerica)was fourth, 1:07.12.

The River Hawks also got a show showing from the 4 x 400 meter relay team.  The combination of Freshmen Thomas Jordan (Needham, Mass.) and Kazuyoshi Uda-Thach (Lexington, Mass.), senior Brian Cherenfant (Taunton, Mass.) and freshmen Michael Blake (Hudson, Mass.) posted a time of 3:23.26 good for a second place finish.

The women's 4 x 400-meter relay team also turned in a strong performance.  The team of junior Lauren Eddy (Grafton, Mass.), senior Cristina Galvagno (Newton, Mass.) and sophomores Tatum Pecci (Tewksbury, Mass.) and Nina Tasker (Lebanon, Maine) earned a third place finish with a time of 4:02.50

Sophomore Kayley Moran (Hackettstown, New Jersey) picked up two third place finishes.  She posted a time of 1:23.40 in the 500-meters and punched the clock at 9.24-seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.

Sophomore Mia Herrling (Pelham, N.H.) earned a second place finish in the high jump.  She cleared the bar at 5' 3.75".

The season is underway but it will be a while before the River Hawks return to the track.  The winter break is in the immediate future.  The teams will return to competition January 10 and 11 for the Multi-event meet and the Beantown Challenge at Harvard.