LEWISTON, Maine – Freshman Jose Rodriguez (New Haven/Wilbur Cross HS) earned All-New England recognition three times and four teammates were named All-New England twice each when the Warriors finished seventh at the 2006/07 New England Division III Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championships Saturday at Slovenski Track on the Bates College campus.

A total of nine different individuals were accorded All-New England status a total of 15 times for Eastern, which recorded its most points (41) and highest finish (7th) at these championships. The points and finish exceeded those of a year ago, when the Warriors collected 24 points and placed tenth for their highest totals to that point.

The top eight individuals and relays are named All-New England.

A total of 24 institutions earned at least one point in the 28th annual meet, with Williams College running away with its fourth straight team title and 14th in 28 years. The Ephs had 152 points, 49 better than runner-up Tufts. Eastern had the highest finish of any state institution. The University of Southern Maine, second to Eastern last Saturday at the New England Alliance championship, was ninth with 35 points.

The Eastern recordholder at 55 and 60 meters, Rodriguez was fifth at 55 meters (6.57), sixth at 200 meters (22.78) and ran the second leg of the 4x400 meter relay which placed fourth in a time of 3:26.96.

Senior Matthew Zagura (Ellington/Ellington HS), junior Mark Lewis (Windsor/Northwest Catholic HS) and freshmen Chris Gemske (West Hartford/Hall HS) and Gregory Dinas (Stamford/Brien McMahon HS) each earned All-New England laurels twice.

Zagura gained honors for the third time in his career in both the weight throw (57-6 ½) and shot put (48-8) with finishes of second and seventh, respectively. He was seventh in the weight as both a freshman and sophomore and in the shot, was fourth last year and eighth in his first season.

The program record-holder at 500 meters, Lewis was sixth at 600 meters (1:24.97) Saturday in his first try at that distance this year and also ran the anchor of the 4x400 relay; Gemske was eighth at 400 meters (51.42) and ran the third leg of the 4x400 relay; and Dinas, the program record-holder in the 55 and 60 meter hurdles and high jump, was second in the high jump (6-3 ½) and seventh in the 55 hurdles (8.08). It marked the third straight year that Lewis helped the 4x400 relay to a top eight finish.

Earning All-New England accolades indoors for the first time were senior William Kopplin (Ledyard/Ledyard HS), junior Mykal Kuslis (Watertown/Watertown HS), sophomore Matt Pyne (Wallingford/Sheehan HS) and freshman Jamie Mikolinski (Northford/North Branford HS). Kopplin was seventh in the weight (51-5 ¾), Kuslis ran the opening leg of the 4x400 relay, Pyne tied for sixth in the pole vault (12-11 ¾), and Mikoliniski was eighth at 55 meters (6.70).

Dinas equalled his program record in the hurdles and Zagura broke his own program record in the weight. Ranked tenth nationally in the weight, Zagura led the event throughout and was within one throw of winning his first New England title before Noah Gauthier of host Bates unloaded a winning throw of 61-1 ¼ on his final attempt. Gauthier’s season-best entering the competition was 57-0 ¼. Zagura’s record throw, however, moved him several spots closer to clinching a berth on a provisional basis in next month’s NCAA Division III national meet.

In addition to Zagura in the weight, others sstablishing personal bests were Gemske at 200 and 400 meters, Mikolinski at 200 meters, and Kopplin in the weight. Kopplin missed qualifying for next week’s New England Open by just over six inches. At 55 meters, Rodriguez’ time was just four hundredths of a second off his program record and Mikolinski fell one hundredth of a second shy of his personal best with a time of 6.69 in the preliminaries; Dinas height in the high jump was his second-best of the year, only behind his program record of 6-4 3/4; Pyne’s mark in the pole vault was the second-best of his career and Mikolinski’s distance of 20-4 ¼ in the long jump was his second-best of the year.

Eastern competes at the New England Open next Friday and Saturday at Boston University.