Complete Results
NEW YORK - The Manhattan College men's track & field team has never lost the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) indoor title. And despite coming into the meet as underdogs, the Jaspers weren't about to let that change this year. Manhattan posted a narrow 141-136 victory over Rider at the Armory Track & Field Center on Friday night to win its 15th consecutive MAAC indoor championship. The Manhattan women's team finished second, 13 points behind MAAC champion Saint Peter's.
Colin Quirke (Los Gatos, Calif.) was named Most Outstanding Performer for Field Events after leading a 1-2-3-4 Manhattan finish in the shot put with a toss of 17.05 meters (55 feet, 11¼ inches) and taking second place in the weight throw (16.82 m, 55'2¼). Teammate Roman Ewald (Olching, Germany) captured the gold in the weight throw (17.68 m, 58'¼) and bronze in the shot put (15.28 m, 50'1¾). Rokas Kirlys (Kamaji, Lithuania) was the silver medalist in the shot put (16.08 m, 52'9¼), while Andrew Trass (River Dell, N.J.) took fourth in both throws (weight throw: 15.19 m, 49'10; shot put: 14.98 m, 49'1¾).
Brian McGovern (Yonkers, N.Y.) set a meet and school record in the pole vault, clearing 5.09 m (16'8¼), as Manhattan picked up 21 points in the event. Albert Johnson III (Painted Post, N.Y.) won the triple jump with a leap of 14.97 m (49'1½), while Mike Carroll (Nanuet, N.Y.) took second in the high jump (1.94 m, 6'4¼). Felix Siljeback-Larsen (Vasteras, Sweden) scored points in four different events, taking second in the pole vault (4.50 m, 14'9), fourth in the 55 meter hurdles (7.94), fifth in the long jump (6.81 m, 22'4¼) and sixth in the high jump (1.84 m, 6'0½).
On the track, Tobias Lundgren (Alta, Sweden) established a new MAAC record of 14:32.79 to win the 5000 meters. He came back later in the meet to score sixth-place points in the 3000, finishing in a time of 8:39.80. Nick Estis (Bardonia, N.Y.) contributed points in both short sprints. He was fourth in the 55 meters (6.62) and fifth in the 200 (22.71). In the decisive 4 x 400 meter relay, the final event of the meet, Estis and Siljeback-Larsen combined with Pat Porteus (Uniondale, N.Y.) and Dimitri Mobley (Abington, Pa.) to place third in a time of 3:24.03, giving the Jaspers six points and clinching the team title.
For the Manhattan women, Malin Olsson (Malmo, Sweden) led the way with a pair of first-place finishes. She captured gold in the triple jump (11.78 m, 38'7¾), then established a new championship record of 6.09 m (19'11¾) to lead a 1-2-3-4 finish in the long jump. Olsson was named Most Outstanding Performer for Field Events on the women's side. Andrea Nyback (Koping, Sweden) earned a pair of silver medals in the long jump (5.74 m, 18'10) and high jump (1.60 m, 5'3), while Siri Fagerlund (Helsingborg, Sweden) took third in both the long jump (5.42 m, 17'9½) and 55 meter hurdles (8.36) to go along with a fourth-place finish in the triple jump (11.00 m, 36'1¼). The Lady Jaspers swept the medals in the pole vault, with Melissa Yap (Orchard Park, N.Y.) taking the gold (3.30 m, 10'10), Lauren Bednarz (Beachwood, N.J.) claiming the silver (3.15 m, 10'4) and Sarah Moore (Irvington, N.Y.) placing third (3.15 m, 10'4).
Cara Rostant (Valley Stream, N.Y.) tied the championship record of 24.80 seconds in the 200 meters, then teamed with Heidy Palacios (Yonkers, N.Y.), Ashley Bowman (Elmont, N.Y.) and Jackie Hargrove (Vienna, Va.) to establish a new championship mark in the 4 x 400 meter relay. The quartet shattered the old standard by more than two seconds, finishing in a time of 3:47.89. Rostant also took second in the open 400 meters (56.24), while Palacios placed third in the 400 (56.80) and Bowman earned silver medals in both the 200 (25.18) and 55 meters (7.32). Manhattan also secured first-place points from Emmy Koskinen (Sodertalje, Sweden) in the 800 meters (2:11.88).
Saint Peter's finished with 198 points to win its first MAAC indoor title. The Lady Jaspers were second with 183 points.
The MAAC also announced the Men's & Women's Indoor Track & Field All-Academic teams on Friday. On the men's side, Carroll, Estis, Ewald, Johnson, Lundgren, Peter Brennan (Lake Grove, N.Y.), Tom Daly (Smithtown, N.Y.), Joe Pluhowski (East Patchogue, N.Y.), Pat Porteus (Uniondale, N.Y.), Matt Waldron (Lyndhurst, N.J.) and Billy Wilkens (Kenmore, Wash.) were recognized for their success in the classroom. From the Manhattan women's team, Erin Bayer (Massapequa Park, N.Y.), Elizabeth Cunningham (Rocky Point, N.Y.), Stephanie Dufort (Clifton Park, N.Y.), Maria Jangsten (Gothenburg, Sweden), Erin Morrison (Dingman's Ferry, Pa.), Katelyn Savage (North Haledon, N.J.) and Megan Tice (Hyde Park, N.Y.) joined Bednarz, Fagerlund, Koskinen, Nyback and Yap on the All-Academic squad. To be eligible for the All-Academic Team, student-athletes must have completed two semesters at their institution and have a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.
In addition, Head Coach Dan Mecca was named 2011 MAAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year.
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