University of Connecticut Athletics
Men's Indoor Track Season Begins with Alumni Invitational
1/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
STORRS, Conn. (January 3, 2008) - The University of Connecticut men's track and field team begins its 2008 indoor season this weekend with the annual UConn Alumni Invitational. Competition begins today and Friday at 12:00 p.m. with the heptathlon, and concludes on Saturday with the track and field events, starting at 11:00 a.m.
"It is a low key opener for our athletes," commented Head Coach Greg Roy, "but it serves a number of purposes. It is not just a competition for our athletes, but it allows our alumni to get back for a hello and it gives us an opportunity to have our annual alumni convention to recognize our supporters. We have a number of alums who are still active in our sport. The last two years featured two-time Olympian Dudley Dorival ('97) competing in the high hurdles. Dudley is on the injured list right now, but we will still have great alumni representation in the meet."
Among the competitors in the heptathlon will be Raffael Craig. He earned All-BIG EAST honors in both the Decathlon and the high jump in 1999, and currently coaches the Millville High School track team in New Jersey. Will Thomas, a 2003 graduate who was a four-time All-American in both the heptathlon and decathlon has retired, but currently coaches at Harvard and will be bringing his All-Ivy League heptathlete Alex Lewis to compete at the event.
Other former alumni coming to compete on Saturday include two-time All-American Elliott Blount ('02). He has personal records of 1:46 in the 800-meter run and has also run a 3:57 mile. Blount is currently training and competing for Club XO and Nike out of Eugene, Oregon as he attempts to make the Olympic team in 2008. He will be competing in the 1,000 meter race at the Alumni Invitational.
Two former Husky stars highlight the weight throw field in Glenn Allen, the 1998 BIG EAST Champion in the hammer throw, and 2007 graduate and All-BIG EAST weight thrower Aaron Isaacs. Allen currently is a high school coach in California, while Isaacs is working as a graduate assistant in the Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletics here on the UConn campus.
The pole vault field will be highlighted by 2007 graduate Jake Radzevich. He won BIG EAST Championships in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault competitions last season. Like Isaacs, he will be competing in his first post-collegiate competition.
To help with the depth of the competition, former Husky Peter Koumelis ('02), who is currently an assistant at Springfield College, will be bringing his ConnQuest Track Club to compete at the meet.
In conjunction with the meet an alumni reception and convention will be held. The keynote speaker at the reception will be Andy Bessette ('75). Bessette was a three-time All-American at UConn in the hammer throw. He earned a spot on the 1980 United States Olympic team by setting a new record at the US Olympic Trials in the hammer. After the country decided to boycott the games, Bessette competed in the Freedom Games held in Philadelphia and finished third overall in the hammer throw.
Following competition, a full recap and results can be found on www.UConnHuskies.com.
