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Southern Maine Raises 4th Straight Men's Outdoor Track & Field Trophy
FITCHBURG, Mass. – Junior Tim Even
(Stoneham, Maine) won three races to help the University of
Southern Maine capture its fourth straight Little East Men's
Outdoor Track & Field Championship this afternoon at the Elliot
Athletic Complex on the campus of Fitchburg State University. A
member of the Huskies squad placed either first or second in 11 of
the 20 events to account for 174.5 points to easily outdistance
themselves from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
The University of Southern Maine raised the program's fifth overall
conference team championship trophy, marking the second most by any
men's outdoor track and field program. The Corsairs registered 111
points to place second, matching the program's previous high-water
mark attained by the 2007 squad. Rhode Island College (94) edged
Eastern Connecticut State University (93.5) and Keene State College
(89) for third place, while the University of Massachusetts Boston
completed the six-team field with 31 points.
The Little East Championship is conducted in
partnership with the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athlete
Conference (MASCAC) to form the 11-team New England Alliance field. Westfield State University
scored 158 points to end the Huskies' (97) three-year reign as the
New England Alliance champions. The Anchormen (74), Owls (73),
UMass Dartmouth (60), and Warriors finished fifth through eighth in
the alliance team standings, respectively.
Even was the lone triple-winner for Southern Maine, while two other
student-athletes captured a conference championship. Even was the
first Little East athlete to cross the finish line in a pair of
long distance races, winning the 800-meter run (1:57.58) and the
1,500-meter run (3:57.04). He also claimed the 110-meter hurdles in
a time of 15.96 seconds. Senior John Davis (Westbrook, Maine)
cleared 4.60 meters to establish a new conference championship mark
in the pole vault, while sophomore Ryan Storey (Cumberland, Maine)
recorded a leap of 1.87 meters to win the high jump.
The Corsairs eclipsed the 110-point barrier for the seventh time in
the 14-year history of the Little East Championship. UMass
Dartmouth freshman Joe Texeira (Seekonk, Mass.) and classmate Brett
Croteau (Rehoboth, Mass.) provided the 1-2 punch in the javelin
event with throws of 55.98 and 52.30 meters, respectively.
Sophomore Kyle Costa (Somerset, Mass.) was the first
student-athlete to cover the 400-meter hurdle course in a time of
57.23 seconds, while senior Nick Santoro (Shrewsbury, Mass.)
tripped the timer at 15 minutes, 39.33 seconds to win the
5,000-meter run.
Keene State College senior Bryan Kolacz (Brentwood, N.H.) became
the first student-athlete in the history of the conference to win
the discus event (44.74m) in each of his four seasons. Kolacz
posted an NCAA Division III automatic qualifying mark in the hammer
throw (60.37m), while also collecting the shot put championship
(14.72m). He captured the hammer and shot put championship for the
third time in his career.
Eastern Connecticut sophomore Corey Simpson (Norwich, Conn.)
captured both the 100 (10.88) and 200 meter dash (22.57) titles.
Simpson established an NCAA Division III provisional qualifying
time in the preliminary heat (10.79) of the 100 meter dash. A
Warrior runner has earned the 100 meter dash title in nine of the
past 10 championships.
The Little East contingent will return to action between May 6 -7
at the 2011 New England Division III Championships in Cambridge,
Mass.
