Stonehill's 4x800-meter relay won the NE10 title for the first time in eight years today (PHOTO BY Denise Archetto) |
Young and 4x800-meter relay capture NE10 titles to headline nine All-NE10 performances over the weekend
MANCHESTER, N.H. (May 4, 2019) – The Stonehill College men's track & field team posted a pair of NE10 event championships and rode nine All-NE10 performances to a fourth place finish at the 2019 Northeast-10 Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Southern New Hampshire University, at Penmen Stadium at the conclusion of day two this afternoon.
Senior Xavier Young captured the NE10 individual title in the shot put for the first time in his two-year career by shattering his own school-record with an NCAA provisional qualifying distance of 54-feet, 1.25-inches. Young surpassed his previous record of 52-09.50 at last weekend's Skyhawk Invitational and now ranks 48th nationally with his first career NCAA PQ. He also scored in the discus throw, placing eighth with a distance of 129-feet, 6-inches.
Senior All-Americans Stephen Vercollone and Lucas Taxter helped lead Stonehill's 4x800-meter relay to the NE10 title for the first time since 2011 with a time of 7:41.71. Vercollone ran the lead leg in 1:55.8, before freshman Nickolas McNamee ran the second leg in 1:57.2 and then senior Matthew Shaw completed the third leg in 1:57.7, before Taxter ran an unofficial school-record and NCAA provisional 1:50.5 split in the anchor leg.
Young won his first NE10 title and shattered his own program record in the shot put, posting his first NCAA provisional qualifying distance (PHOTO BY Denise Archetto) |
Vercollone also earned All-NE10 honors earlier in the day in the 800-meter run with a second place finish in 1:52.48, after qualifying fourth out of 25 entries in Friday's qualifying heats by winning his section in 1:55.87. The two All-NE10 honors today, give Vercollone nine All-NE10 performances for his career. Sophomore Christopher Lanahan and freshman Evan Kennedy placed seventh and eighth, respectively for Stonehill. Lanahan clocked in with a personal-best 1:54.47 in today's final after qualifying seventh in 1:56.37, while Kennedy finished in 2:02.87, after posting a personal-best time of 1:56.41 in Friday's prelims to qualify eighth.
Junior Justin Ireland and senior Joe Connolly finished second and third, respectively in the 100-meter dash. Ireland earned All-NE10 honors for the third time in his career in a personal-best 10.78-seconds, with Connolly right on his heels in a personal-best 10.80. Both runners won their qualifying heats in Friday's prelims, with Connolly qualifying second out of 27 entries overall in 10.87-seconds, while Ireland posted the third-quickest time of 11.00-seconds.
Ireland also turned in a fourth place finish in the 200-meter dash in 21.85-seconds, while Connolly was sixth in 22.01. Connolly qualified fifth out of 27 entries overall in 22.01-seconds, while Ireland clocked in at 22.27-seconds – good for seventh-fastest in the prelims.
Sophomore Ethan Famiano picked up All-NE10 honors for the second time with his third place finish in the 110-meter high hurdles in a personal-best 14.63-seconds after qualifying second out of 16 entries on Friday in 14.77.
Ireland, Connolly, Famiano and sophomore Desmond Bernal opened the day by earning All-NE10 honors with a third place finish in the 4x100-meter relay. Bernal ran the lead leg, followed by Ireland and then Famiano, before Connolly completed the anchor leg for a 42.16-second time.
Stonehill finished fourth in the final team standings with 107 points. Southern Connecticut State University won its third-straight and NE10 record 16th Conference championship overall with 207 points, followed by second place Merrimack College with 119 points and then American International College rounded out the top three with 111 points.
Ireland earned a pair of All-NE10 honors with a second place finish in the 100m and helping in a third place 4x100 relay (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Senior Christopher Drace earned All-NE10 honors for the third time in his career with a third place finish in the 5000-meter run in a personal-best 15:17.48, while senior All-American Alex Demeule was close behind in fourth out of 25 entries in 15:19.28. Freshman Shane Braz was also among the five Stonehill entries in the event, finishing 11th in 15:47.80, while sophomore Kevin Wheelock was 15th in 15:59.50 and senior Larry Carney placed 18th in 16:21.12.
Freshman Jack Bowers finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles in a personal-best 54.58-seconds after qualifying fifth out of 21 entries on Friday in 54.87.
Junior Jeremy Breen posted an eighth place finish in today's 400-meter dash final in 49.80-seconds, after qualifying seventh out of 23 competitors in Friday's prelims with a personal-best time of 49.65-seconds.
Bowers, Breen, Connolly and freshman Anthony Magazzu also combined for a fourth place finish in the 4x400-meter relay. Magazzu ran the lead leg in 50.7-seconds, followed by Breen for a 49.5-second split on the second leg, and then Bowers completed the third leg in 49.2-seconds, before Connolly completed the anchor leg in 48.3-seconds.
Taxter and sophomore Jeff Pichie also earned All-NE10 honors for Stonehill on Friday. Taxter led three Skyhawks in the top seven with his second place finish in a season-best 3:54.27, while Pichie earned All-Conference honors for the first time in his career with a third place finish in the 10,000-meter run in 32:17.46.
Stonehill returns to action next weekend, when its qualifiers participate in the New England Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Southern Connecticut State University, at Jess Dow Field in New Haven, Connecticut, on Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11.
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