NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – The Southern Vermont College outdoor track & field team traveled to Smith College Saturday for the Pioneer Invitational with the Mountaineers using the meet to continue building upon their season's success.
The SVC squad saw 17 new personal records with six of those also going for new top program marks. Additionally, two Mountaineers won their respective events while another nine entries finished with top-15 placements.
Southern Vermont looks to continue its momentum next Saturday, April 16 at the Upstate Classic hosted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Mountaineer freshman Isaiah Backels (Derry, N.H.) won the men's pole vault for the second straight week, topping his previous best mark by .6 meters with a 4.40 on the day. That was good enough for him to qualify for the Division III New England Championship in May, being the sixth-best mark of all DIII New England vaulters this year; he was also just .10 meters shy of qualifying for the ECAC DIII Outdoor Championship.
Sophomore Marc Brandmeyer (Bennington, Vt.) placed first in the men's 3000 meter steeplechase for the second time this season, setting a new school record with a time of 9:51.62 that was 11.80 seconds faster than his previous showing. While he had already qualified for the DIII New England Championship, his mark on Saturday also ranked as the sixth-best in all of DIII New England participants this year.
Additionally, Brandmeyer shaved 1.55 seconds off his previous SVC record in the men's 800 meter run, coming in at 2:02.19 to turn in the second-best time of the meet.
SVC sophomore Patrick McGovern (Cheshire, England) set a new program record in the men's 200 meter dash, trimming .60 seconds off his previous record time to post a 23.39 and place fifth overall at the Invitational; that mark was just .39 seconds off from qualifying for the DIII New England Championship.
McGovern also ran the fourth-best men's 100 meter dash time at Saturday's meet, crossing the line in 11.63 seconds to be .33 seconds behind his PR in his first showing of the event this year. In his first long jump entry of the season, the sophomore leapt 5.90 meters to place sixth overall and be just .44 meters off of his personal record.
Junior captain Shelby Whitman (Bennington, Vt.) did well in the women's 1500 meter run, taking 2.23 seconds off her time from last week and being just .09 seconds off her personal best with a 5:22.79. She also placed 15th in the women's 400 meter dash at 1:07.50, coming in just 2.4 seconds behind her personal record.
Junior Aden Fischer (Arlington, Vt.) ran his first 400 meter dash of the year, breaking his personal record in the event by 1.49 seconds to place 14th overall with a time of 56.82 seconds. He also set a new PR in the 800 meter run, coming through at 2:13.60 for a time 4.24 seconds faster than he put up last week and 1.3 seconds ahead of his old personal best; that also put him at seventh on the all-time SVC record list for the event.
Freshman Morgan Arleth (Berlin, Vt.) and junior Victoria Cotter (Yonkers, N.Y.) each set a pair of new personal records on the day in the sprints. Arleth took .33 seconds off her previous 200 meter dash time with a 33.43-second showing for a new school record while posting her first mark in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:16.25. Cotter became the first-ever SVC female athlete to enter in the 100 meter dash, setting the team record at 17.31 seconds. She additionally took .68 seconds off of her 200 meter time with a mark of 36.29 on Saturday.
Bennington College sophomore Noah Froh (Milwaukee, Wis.) entered in his first collegiate varsity track performances, first completing the 800 meter run with a 2:12.44 to be fourth on the all-time SVC record list in the event. He was also 14th overall in the 1500 meter run, finishing the course at 4:35.77.
Junior Elmer Olivares (Miami, Fla.) had a pair of personal first-time entries, running the 400 meter dash in a time of 1:01.37 and jumping 5.53 meters in the long jump to place 14th overall.
Mountaineer freshman Jackson Amankrah (New York, N.Y.) had his first showing in the 200 meter dash, posting a time of 26.63 seconds, while coming in just one second behind his top time in the 100 meter sprint at 13.32 seconds.
Senior captain Cameron Michael Curtiss (Milton, Vt.) topped his previous personal record in the 800 meter run by .13 seconds with a 2:12.56 to put himself at fifth on the all-time SVC chart, and he was just under four seconds behind his 1500 meter time at 4:34.31 to place 13th overall on Saturday.
Sophomore Tanisha Wright (Brooklyn, N.Y.) competed in the women's shot put, throwing a long distance of 5.93 meters, while Alexander Ging (Simsbury, Conn.) of Bennington completed the 800 meter run in a time of 2:27.23 and the 1500 meter run at 5:05.34.
SOUTHERN VERMONT RESULTS
Women's 100 Meter Dash
Victoria Cotter: 17.31 (SR)
Women's 200 Meter Dash
Morgan Arleth: 33.43 (SR)
Victoria Cotter: 36.29 (PR)
Women's 400 Meter Dash
Shelby Whitman: 15th – 1:07.50
Morgan Arleth: 1:16.25 (PR)
Women's 1500 Meter Run
Shelby Whitman: 5:22.79
Women's Shot Put
Tanisha Wright: 5.93
Men's 100 Meter Dash
Patrick McGovern: 4th – 11.63
Jackson Amankrah: 13:32
Men's 200 Meter Dash
Patrick McGovern: 5th – 23.39 (SR)
Jackson Amankrah: 26.63 (PR)
Men's 400 Meter Dash
Aden Fischer: 14th – 56.82 (PR)
Elmer Olivares: 1:01.37 (PR)
Men's 800 Meter Run
Marc Brandmeyer: 2nd – 2:02.19 (SR)
Noah Froh: 2:12.44 (PR)
Cameron Michael Curtiss: 2:12.56 (PR)
Aden Fischer: 2:13.60 (PR)
Alexander Ging: 2:27.23
Men's 1500 Meter Run
Cameron Michael Curtiss: 13th – 4:34.31
Noah Froh: 14th – 4:35.77 (PR)
Alexander Ging: 5:05.34
Men's 3000 Meter Steeplechase
Marc Brandmeyer: 1st – 9:51.62 (SR)
Men's Pole Vault
Isaiah Backels: 1st – 4.40 M (SR)
Men's Long Jump
Patrick McGovern: 6th – 5.90 M
Elmer Olivares: 14th – 5.53 M (PR)
PR = Personal Record, SR = SVC Record