Senior Xavier Dixon provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 60-meter hurdles today. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) |
Dixon provisionally qualifies for nationals in 60-meter hurdles to highlight Skyhawks performances
KINGSTON, R.I. (January 18, 2014) – The Stonehill College men's track and field program returned to action for the first time in over a month at the Sorlien Invitational, hosted by the University of Rhode Island, at Mackal Fieldhouse this afternoon.
Senior Xavier Dixon (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) highlighted Stonehill's performances this afternoon by provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Division II Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C., in March by posting the 17th-fastest time in the 60-meter high hurdles in the country to date. He finished third in the final with his provisional qualifying time of 8.26-seconds after qualifying first overall with a time of 8.30-seconds in his preliminary heat. Dixon also finished 13th in the 200-meter dash in 24.02-seconds, just behind senior Michael Harris (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) in 12th place with a time of 23.56-seconds.
Sophomore Nick Kirkpatrick (Carmel, Ind./Brebeuf Jesuit Prep) led four Stonehill runners in the 800-meter run with his second place finish in 1:57.12. Senior All-American Justin Blaszczyk (Saint James, N.Y./Smithtown) placed seventh with a time of 2:00.09, while classmate Tyler Moules (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) finished eighth in 2:00.31 and freshman Duncan Burleigh (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) was ninth in 2:05.65.
Kirkpatrick also ran the anchor leg for Stonehill's 4x800-meter relay team that took second place with its time of 8:07.20. Junior All-American Patrick Cooney (Douglaston, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) paced the Skyhawks on the lead leg, followed by senior Christopher Dooley (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth), Blaszczyk and then Kirkpatrick.
Cooney led three Stonehill runners in the 1000-meter run with his time of 2:34.22 for fourth place in the field. Dooley finished 11th in 2:40.71, while freshman Stephen Bomba (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Iona Prep) was 12th in 2:41.66.
Sophomore Nick Kirkpatrick finished second in the 800-meter run and also ran a leg for the 4x800-meter relay which also finished second. (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard) |
Senior Herby Saintil (Roslindale, Mass./BC High) placed second in the triple jump with his distance of 45-feet, 1.50-inches, while junior All-American Nick Staley (Medway, Mass./BC High) took third in the high jump by clearing a height of 6-feet, 6-inches.
Other Stonehill Performances of Note:
The Stonehill 4x400-meter relay finished fifth with a time of 3:29.73. Freshman Matthew Baldasare (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) ran the lead leg, followed by junior Robert Smith (Woburn, Mass./Woburn Memorial) and Staley before Moules on the anchor.
Baldasare also placed seventh in the 500-meter dash with his time of 1:07.84, while Smith took tenth in 1:08.92.
Junior Daniel Zawalich (Paxton, Mass./St. John's of Shrewsbury) led a field of seven Stonehill runners in the 3000-meter run with his fifth place finish in 8:40.84. Freshman Tyler Henseler (Coventry, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) finished eighth in 8:54.95, while classmate Joseph Santo (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport) placed ninth at 8:55.25.
Sophomore Mason Griffin (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) led three Stonehill throwers in fifth through seventh place for the shot put as his distance of 44-feet, 4.75-inches was good for a fifth place showing. Junior Daniel Cormier (Methuen, Mass./Methuen) placed sixth with a throw of 44-feet, even, while sophomore Andrew Hastings (Broad Brook, Conn./Hebron Academy) finished seventh at 43-07.25.
Cormier and sophomore Morgan Johnson (West Newbury, Mass./St. John's Prep) placed sixth and seventh, respectively in the 35-pound weight throw. Cormier was sixth with a distance of 50-feet, 1.75-inches, while Johnson had a throw of 47-09.00 for seventh place.
Junior Teague Grubel (Phoenix, Ariz./Shadow Mountain) finished seventh in the 60-meter dash with his time of 7.27-seconds after qualifying sixth in 7.21-seconds. Harris finished ninth in the prelims with a time of 7.26-seconds. Grubel also turned in a tenth place finish in the 400-meter dash in 52.34-seconds.
Stonehill, the defending Northeast-10 Conference Indoor Champions, is back in action next weekend for a pair of events. The Skyhawks will split their squad between the Joe Donahue Games, hosted by Northeastern University, at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center, on Friday night, and the John Thomas Terrier Invitational, hosted by Boston University, at the BU Track & Tennis Center, on Saturday at 9 a.m.
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