Polito |
Thomas |
Penney |
Grubel |
Gelcius |
Staley |
Driscoll |
Kincade |
Byrnes |
McCann |
Prior |
Harris |
Harris-Dixon |
Saintil |
Cooney |
Cormier |
Grubel, Penney, Polito and Thomas lead the way with dual All-Region honors
EASTON, Mass. (May 17, 2012) – A program-record 16 members of the Stonehill College men's track and field team, ranked third in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II East Regional ratings index, have received a record 20 All-East Region accolades the USTFCCCA announced. The awards recognize each region's top five performers in individual events and top three teams in relay events.
Senior Stephen Polito (Worcester, Mass./Doherty Memorial), junior All-American Corey Thomas (Brookline, Mass./BC High) and classmate Ethan Penney (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) as well as freshman Teague Grubel (Phoenix, Ariz./Shadow Mountain) lead the list of All-East Region performers for Stonehill by collecting the honors in two events. Stonehill's 16 All-East Region performers is one more than its total of 15 individual honorees during the indoor season and six more than the ten honorees named to the USTFCCCA's inaugural outdoor All-Region squad in 2011.
Also earning All-Region honors for Stonehill are junior John Gelcius (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich) and freshman Nicholas Staley (Medway, Mass./BC High), who along with Thomas, are qualifiers for next week's NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, in Pueblo, Colo. The remaining All-Region honorees are seniors John Driscoll (Revere, Mass./Revere) and Daniel Kincade (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield), juniors Luke Byrnes (Glen Head, N.Y./Chaminade), Kevin McCann (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) and Colin Prior (Georgetown, Mass./St. John's Prep), sophomores Michael Harris (Danvers, Mass./Danvers), Xavier Harris-Dixon (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) and Herby Saintil (Roslindale, Mass./BC High) and freshmen Patrick Cooney (Douglaston, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) and Daniel Cormier (Methuen, Mass./Methuen).
Thomas collects his seventh and eighth All-East Region honors over the two year existence of the program, earning the honors for the high jump and 110-meter high hurdles for the second-straight outdoor season. He has also earned indoor All-Region honors for the 60-meter hurdles and high jump each of the last two seasons as well. Thomas has qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships for the third-straight year in the high jump.
Thomas, a five-time NCAA Division II All-American in the high jump and six-time All-American overall, cleared a season-best height of 6-feet, 11.75-inches in capturing his second-straight NE-10 Outdoor High Jump Championship on May 5. He is a six-time All-NE-10 performer in the high jump (three indoor/three outdoor), also winning one indoor high jump title, and picked up his third-straight All-New England high jump honor over the weekend with his third place finish, having won the New England Outdoor high jump championship in 2010 to go with two indoor titles.
Thomas, the 2011 NCAA Division II Indoor High Jump National Champion, earns All-Region honors for the 110-meter hurdles on his season-best time of 14.36-seconds to win the event at the Skyhawk Invitational on April 14. The time provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships and is the 23th-ranked time in Division II this season. He won the event at four meets this spring.
Thomas is a two-time national qualifier for the 110-meter hurdles, earning indoor All-America honors for 60-meter hurdles in 2011. He has won eight Northeast-10 titles (five hurdles and three high jump) and four New England championships, with two indoor and one outdoor high jump championship, sweeping the high jump championships as a freshman when he also claimed New England titles in the 60-meter hurdles and 110-meter hurdles.
Thomas holds the school record in all five events he competes in at Stonehill. He cleared an indoor school record 7-feet, 2.25-inches at the 2010 New England Championships that he matched with his winning performance at the 2012 New England Indoor Championships and an outdoor record 7-1.5 at the U.S. Junior Nationals at Drake University during the summer following his freshman year. Thomas ran the 110-meter hurdles in a record time of 14.31-seconds at the 2011 New England Outdoor. He also holds the 55-meter hurdles record of 7.45-seconds set at the 2010 New England Championships and the 60-meter hurdles mark of 8.07-seconds at the 2012 New England Indoor Championships.
Polito earns a pair of outdoor All-East Region honors for the second-straight year, giving him five All-Region awards overall with three coming in his senior year after he collected the honors for the indoor 5000-meters this season. He collects outdoor All-Region honors for the 10,000 and 5000-meters for the second-straight year, having also earned All-New England accolades at 10,000-meters for the third time and All-Northeast-10 plaudits for the 5000-meters.
Polito earned All-Region honors for 10,000-meters off his school-record time of 30:50.48 in posting a second-straight second place finish at the New England Championships on Friday. His personal-best time of 14:41.67 in the 5000-meters was clocked during a 52nd place finish at the Larry Ellis Invitational on April 20. Polito also finished second in the 5000 at the NE-10 Championships (15:01.46) and won the 10,000-meter run with a facility record time of 31:28.53 at the Skyhawk Invitational on April 14.
Polito has now collected eight All-Region awards over his career, including three for cross country. He was recently named the Edward E. Martin Male Scholar-Athlete Award winner at Stonehill and received the St. Thomas Aquinas Medal for having the highest cumulative grade point average on both the cross country and track teams. An eight-time NE-10 Academic All-Conference selection, Polito earned the NE-10's Sport Excellence Award for cross country each of the last two years.
Penney earns All-Region honors in the 3000-meter steeplechase for the second-straight year and also collects the honors for the 5000-meter run for the first time. The three-time All-Region performer posted a school-record time of 9:14.56 with his second place finish in the steeplechase at the NE-10 Championships, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships. He also earned All-New England honors in the event this spring with a sixth place finish over the weekend (9:17.48) and won the steeplechase at the Skyhawk Invitational (9:36.67). Penney posted a season-best time of 14:52.10 in the 5000-meter run with his 66th place finish at the Larry Ellis Invitational on April 20.
Penney has earned All-NE-10 honors three times over his career (one indoor, two outdoor) and is a two-time All-New England performer. He is also a member of Stonehill's nationally-ranked cross country program, earning All-Northeast-10 honors twice, including first team honors this past fall, in helping the Skyhawks to a pair of NE-10 titles.
Grubel earns his first two All-East Region accolades for the 100-meter dash as well as for his part on the 4x100-meter relay team. He collects the honors for the 100-meter dash with his fifth place finish in the finals at the NE-10 Championships in 11.01-seconds. Grubel also collected All-New England honors this spring as a result of his fourth place finish on Saturday in 10.80-seconds. He won the event at the Skyhawk Invitational (10.89) and has been named the NE-10 Track Rookie of the Week four times this year.
Grubel is joined by Driscoll, Harris and Prior on Stonehill's 4x100-meter relay team that earns All-Region honors for its time of 42.20-seconds in placing sixth at the New England Championships on Saturday to collect All-New England honors. It marks the first All-Region accolades for Driscoll, Harris and Prior as well as the first time the Skyhawks 4x100 has been recognized over the last two years of the award's existence.
Gelcius, who has qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time, earns All-East Region honors in the javelin for the second-straight year with his school-record distance of 204-feet, 8-inches to place third at the New England Championships on Friday and earn All-New England honors for the first time. He captured his first NE-10 championship in the event with a distance of 192-01, marking his third-straight All-Conference performance.
Gelcius, who is ranked 16th nationally in the javelin, also posted the longest throw in the region in 2011 at 196-02 at the season-opening Bridgewater State Bears Invite.
Staley rounds out Stonehill's national qualifiers to earn All-Region honors as a result of his season-best height of 6-feet, 11.75-inches to place second in the high jump on attempts at the NE-10 Championships on May 4. It marked the first All-Northeast-10 performance of his young career and he has also collected All-Region honors for the second time, having been honored for indoor high jump during his freshman season.
Staley has earned NE-10 Rookie of the Week honors nine times this year and Field Athlete of the Week once. He posted his second All-New England performance of the year with his second place finish on Saturday when he cleared 6-8.75 at the New England Championships. Staley won the high jump at the George Davis Invitational on April 7 (6-8.75).
Junior All-American Corey Thomas is now a eight-time All-East Region performer after collecting the award for both the high jump and 110-meter hurdles. |
Kincade earns All-East Region honors in the hammer throw for the second-straight year, marking his fourth award overall in his career. He broke his own school record with his season-best throw of 169-feet, 9-inches to place third at the Holy Cross Invitational on April 21. He also earned All-Northeast-10 honors for the first time in his career with a second place finish in the hammer on May 4 (167-6). Kincaid placed third at three meets this spring and fourth at another.
Kincade has earned a pair of indoor All-Region honors in the weight throw. He also owns the school-record for that event with a distance of 55-feet, 2-inches, to place sixth overall, at the BU Valentine Invitational this past winter. Kincade placed second at the Reggie Poyau Invitational (50-2.00) and third at the NE-10 Championships (53-10.50).
Byrnes earns All-East Region honors for the second time this year with his performance in the pole vault. He cleared a school-record 15-feet, 3-inches during a second place finish at the Skyhawk Invitational. Byrnes earned All-New England honors for the first time over the weekend when he placed sixth overall with his height of 14-feet, 11-inches.
Byrnes earned his first All-East Region award during the indoor season with his school-record height of 14-7.25 in an eighth place finish at the BU Valentine Invitational, a height he later matched in an 18th place showing at the New England Championships. He also finished third at the NE-10 Championships (13-7.25) during the winter.
McCann earns All-East Region honors for the third time in the pole vault with his second outdoor award. He cleared a season-best 14-feet, 3.25-inches in a ninth place finish at the season-opening UConn Huskies Invitational on March 31, a height he later matched in a third place showing at the Skyhawk Invitational. McCann placed third at the NE-10 Championships two weeks ago (13-11.25) and was 17th at the New England Championships over the weekend.
McCann earned his first indoor All-East Region award with a season-best 14-feet, 0.5-inches in a fifth place finish at the URI Charley Torpey Memorial Invitational. He turned in a third place showing at the NE-10 Indoor Championships (13-7.25). McCann cleared a then program record 14-3.25 to pick up All-East Region honors for the pole vault during the 2011 outdoor season. He later matched that height with a tenth place finish at the New England Outdoor Championships.
Senior Stephen Polito is also now an eight time All-Region performer, combining cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field with his efforts in the 10,000 and 5000-meter runs. |
Harris-Dixon earns All-East Region honors for the 110-meter high hurdles for the second-straight year, marking his fourth All-Region award overall. He posted a season-best time of 14.75-seconds to win his first Northeast-10 Championship in the event on May 5, marking his second outdoor All-Conference performance and fourth in two seasons, including indoor, overall. Harris-Dixon collected All-New England honors for the 110-meter hurdles for the second-straight year over the weekend with his fifth place finish in 14.67-seconds. He also posted four second place finishes during the outdoor season, finishing behind only Thomas each time, to go with a third place finish.
Harris-Dixon is a two-time indoor All-Region performer at the 60-meter hurdles. He clocked his personal best time this winter with his converted time off a second place finish to Thomas at the NE-10 Championships in 7.72-seconds, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the first time, and earning his second indoor All-Conference honor. Harris-Dixon also collected indoor All-New England honors for the first time with his eighth place finish in 8.27-seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.
Saintil earns his second All-East Region award with his first outdoor honor in the triple jump after clearing a school-record 46-feet, 1.5-inches to place third at the NE-10 Championships two weeks ago, just missing out on All-Conference honors. It marked the third time this spring he broke the school record that started at 45-1.5 by Max Hoddwells set at the 2009 NE-10 Championships. Saintil placed second at the Skyhawk Invitational (45-5.25) and claimed two other third place finishes during the spring.
Saintil earned All-Region honors in the triple jump for the first time during the indoor season after clearing 44-feet, 10.25-inches during a third place finish at the Northeast-10 Indoor Championships. He was also second at the Reggie Poyau Invitational (42-1.25), to go with a third place finish as part of Stonehill's 4x400-meter relay (3:35.92).
Cooney earns his second All-East Region award of his freshman season with his first outdoor honor in the 800-meter run. He clocked his season-best time of 1:53.19 with a fourth place finish at the Northeast-10 Championships on May 5. He just missed out on All-New England status with a ninth place showing at the New England Championships over the weekend in 1:53.49. Cooney also ran a leg on Stonehill's 4x800-meter relay team that collected All-New England honors (7:44.83) with a fourth place finish on Saturday and placed third at the NE-10 Championships (7:48.15).
Cooney earned All-Region honors during the indoor season as part of Stonehill's All-America 4000-meter distance medley relay team. The Skyhawks DMR finished sixth at the NCAA Championships in Mankato, Minn., as well as second at the New England Championships to earn All-New England status. Cooney also earned All-New England honors as part of the indoor 4x800-meter relay which also placed second in the NE-10 Championships (8:01.69) to earn All-NE-10 status. He won the 1000-meter run at the season-opening Jay Carisella Invitational (2:30.43) in early December.
Cormier earns All-East Region honors for the first time with his season-best throw of 47-feet, 9-inches to place fourth at the NE-10 Championships two weeks ago. He placed fourth at the Holy Cross Invitational on April 21 with a distance of 45-8. Cormier also competed in the hammer throw in his first collegiate season, reaching a season-high 117-feet, 6-inches at the UMass Lowell George Davis Invitational. He competed in the weight throw and shot put indoors, reaching a season-best 39-feet, 6-inches in the weight throw and clearing an indoor best 42-11 in the shot at the Brandeis Reggie Poyau Invitational.
Gelcius, Thomas and Staley will close out the athletic calendar for Stonehill when they compete at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Colorado State University-Pueblo, at Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl, will be held Thursday, May 24, through Saturday, May 26. The Stonehill men's track & field team turned in a second place finish at the NE-10 Championships and a program-best third place showing at the New England Championships this spring.