Men third in USTFCCCA East Regional Poll and NE10 Coaches Poll
NE10 Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll
NE10 Championship Heat Sheets
NE10 Championship Schedule of Events
NE10 Championship Records
Live Results
Taxter is ranked 24th in the Division and second in the conference in the mile |
EASTON, Mass. (February 16, 2017) – The Stonehill College men's track and field team will compete in the Northeast-10 Conference Indoor Championships on Saturday, February 17-18, hosted by American International College at Smith College Indoor Track Facility in Northampton, Massachusetts.
The men's squad was voted to finish third in the conference earning 79 points, while 12-time champion and returning champion from last year Southern Connecticut State University (95 points) was voted first with six first-place tallies and returning 2017 runner-up American International College (94 points) was voted to finish second with four first-place marks. Merrimack College fell behind the Skyhawks totaling 67 points, as Adelphi University rounded out the top five with 65 points.
The men stunned the field in 2013 as the squad claimed its first NE10 Indoor Championship title in program history and has taken the runner-up position six times, with the last being 2014. The squad placed fourth last year during the indoor season, falling behind Merrimack who took home third, recording 5.5 points more than the Skyhawks.
Two student-athletes and one relay have also bypassed the NCAA provisional time including Lucas Taxter (Readville, Massachusetts/Xaverian Brothers) in the mile, Stephen Vercollone (Pembroke, Massachusetts/Pembroke) in the 800 meter, and the distance medley relay which includes Vercollone, Taxter, Alexander Demeule (Merrimac, Massachusetts/Pentucket Regional) and Hampton Boyd (Holliston, Massachusetts/Holliston). The DMR is ranked ninth in Division II and second in the conference, while Taxter sits 24th overall and second in the conference and Vercollone is 22nd overall and fourth in the conference. Vercollone is surrounded by three competitors that have provisionally qualified for NCAA's, while there is the top runner who has automatically qualified.
The 4x800-meter relay placed fourth at the Championship last year, and is currently ranked first with their time of 7:44.25 from the New England Championship. The 4x400-meter relay turned in a second-place finish last season and is currently ranked fourth in the Conference.
Ethan Famiano (Warwick, Rhode Island/Bishop Hendricken) and Collin Kuchachik (Orange, Connecticut/Amity Regional) are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively in the 60-meter hurdles to help the Skyhawks with points.
Connolly holds fourth-place rankings in the conference for the 60-meter and 200-meter runs. |
Anthony Innamorati (Clinton, Massachusetts/Clinton) tallied his first All-Conference honor last year, taking home second, as he is currently ranked fourth overall in the pole vault.
Stonehill's shot put duo of Xavier Young (Barnegat, New Jersey/Barnegat) and Darren Shi (Yarmouth, Massachusetts/Yarmouth) aim to pick up as many points as possible with their second and fourth-place rankings. Along with the duo, Stefan Balestra (Lincoln, Rhode Island/Lincoln), in the weight throw sits third with his mark of 54 feet, 11.5 inches from the URI Coaches' Tribute Meet this season.
The distance events include multiple top-10 rankings, including Sam Bradford's (Bedford, Massachusetts/Bedford) second-place mark in the 5000-meter run, while Kenny Vinacco (Scituate, Rhode Island/Scituate) isn't far behind as he sits in fourth.
Demeule and Jimmy Murphy (Mansfield, Massachusetts/Mansfield) are both ranked in the top 10 for two events. Demeule is seventh in the mile and eighth in the 3000-meter run, while Murphy is fourth in the 3000 and ninth in the 5000.
Joe Connolly (Wilmington, Massachusetts/Austin Prep) holds fourth-place rankings in both the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter run. Jordan Sullivan (Sound Beach, New York/Miller Place) is also fourth in the high jump with his height of 6 feet, 4.25 inches at the New England Championships this season.
Following the NE10 Championships, Stonehill will compete in the BU Last Chance Meet, hosted by Boston University at the BU Track & Tennis Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
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