University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
UConn Northeast Challenge
Huskies Dominate Northeast Challenge
4/13/2019 8:10:00 PM | Men's Track and Field
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn men's track & field team hosted the 2019 Northeast Challenge on Saturday and took home the team title with 164 total points at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex on campus. The Huskies crushed the 10 team field and won six individual titles in the process.
Following the Huskies was Southern Connecticut taking second at 90 points, Rhode Island in third at 85 points and Albany fourth with 64 points. Northeastern was fifth with 49 points followed by Stony Brook in sixth (46 pts), AIC in seventh (30 pts), CCSU in eighth (27 pts), Columbia in ninth (24 pts) and UMass in 10th (7 pts).
In addition to winning their lone home meet of the spring, the Huskies announced their team captains for the outdoor season on Saturday. Seniors Kyle Barber (Fayetteville, N.Y.), Ian Bergere (Madison, Conn.), Kyle Brackman (Berkeley Heights, N.J.), Michael McGonnigle (New Fairfield, Conn.), and Malik Snead (Trenton, N.J.) were all elected captains for the 2019 outdoor season.
"Overall, we had a really good meet," stated head coach Greg Roy. "A really nice, team scoring meet for us. Now we just get ready for conference. We are in a really good place with some our guys."
On the track, Brackman got the day started coming up big in the 1,500, closing out the race down the back-stretch to win in a time of 3:54.78. McGonnigle was third in 3:55.25 and classmate Barber was fifth in 3:58.01.
Junior Kyle Brackman closes strong down the stretch to win the 1500!#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/mT4uMKfzRW
— UConn Track & Field / XC (@UConnMTrack) April 13, 2019
In the 100 meter dash, freshman Myles Calhoun (Henrietta, N.Y.) had his best outing of the spring so far, grabbing a second place finish while setting an new personal best with a time of 10.58 seconds. He followed that up with his top-performance in the 200 meters as well. Calhoun took second place in 21.71 seconds, a new personal best as well.
Freshman Noah Woodman (Hampstead, N.H.) grabbed his first victory of the outdoor season and also set a new personal best in the 400 meters on Saturday. Woodman topped the field with a time of 47.34 seconds. Also scoring in the event for UConn was sophomore Tyler Gleen (Shelton, Conn.) who finished sixth in 48.89 in his first time running the event this spring.
Rookie Noah Woodman wins the 400 m#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/JPdcapSkmv
— UConn Track & Field / XC (@UConnMTrack) April 13, 2019
Two freshmen grabbed top-five finishes in the 110 meter hurdles led by Konstantin Rust (Germany) who finished second at 14:49 seconds. Classmate Xavier Smith (West Windsor, N.J.) came in fifth overall with a time of 14.85 seconds. Freshman Adam Khriss (Secaucus, N.J.) was a scorer in the 400 meter hurdles, just missing a new personal best with a time of 53.89 seconds.
The 800 meters featured sophomore Eric van der Els (Norwalk, Conn.) running the event for the first time this spring and grabbing a third place finish with the second fastest time by a Husky this year at 1:52.38. Sophomore Joshua Bedard (Tolland, Conn.) ran a new personal best at 1:53.99 as did classmate Omar Gebril (North Haven, Conn.) at 1:57.18.
The Huskies went 1-2-4 in the 5,000 meters with freshman James Maniscalco (Fairfield, Conn.) getting his first career win in a time of 15:10.77. Sophomore Ian Mickool (Ridgefield, Conn.) was second with a time of 15:14.49 and senior Aidan Fiol (Fairfield, Conn.) was fourth in 15:20.86. Wrapping it up on the track in the 4x400 meter relay, taking third in the event with a time of 3:13.87.
"The jumps were great, Malik jumped great and Safir was very business like in the high jump and Ian winning too." On the track, Myles was great int eh 100 and 200 and Noah was geat in the 400 and ran solid in the 200. That was huge for Brackman in the 1,500, he's been fire for us."
"Matt Brady threw very well in the shot and Todd (Steuber) continues to be solid and had a really good day in the discus," commented Roy. "Javelin with Jeffers, great, and hammer very solid with Seb right at his lifetime best, great job."
Here is our High Jump champ, sophomore Safir Scott with his first of the day. Scott won the event at 2.08 m#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/t64OWpVfij
— UConn Track & Field / XC (@UConnMTrack) April 13, 2019
Sophomore Safir Scott (Greenwich, Conn.) notched another victory in the high jump, besting the field with a height of 2.08 meters (6'9.75"). Scott is currently at the top of the AAC rankings in the event.
Snead, the current AAC leader in the triple jump, grabbed his second win of the spring and also posted his best jump this season. Snead bested the field with a leap of 15.66 meters.
Senior Malik Snead wins the triple jump and had his best distance of the season so far at 15.66 m#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/TYk8cx2keL
— UConn Track & Field / XC (@UConnMTrack) April 13, 2019
Bergere was the top-man in the pole vault, winning for the first time this spring and posting his top-height of the spring at 4.92 meters (16'1.75"). Freshman Tyler Hrbek (Northvale, N.J.) had a new personal best at 4.77 meters (15'7.75") to finish fifth and classmate Devon McShane (Madison, Conn.) was sixth at 4.62 meters (15'1.75").
Senior Ian Bergere takes the title in the pole vault, winning with a height of 4.92 m#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/nkXCgmhFAd
— UConn Track & Field / XC (@UConnMTrack) April 13, 2019
Sophomore Todd Stueber (Toms River, N.J.) got his first career win in the discus and did it with a new personal best. Stueber beat the field by unleashing a throw of 51.74 meters (169'9"). Sophomore Matthew Brady (Biddeford, Maine) set a new personal best in the shot put and finished second overall. Brady posted a throw of 17.51 meters (57'5.50"), just coming up shy of the top spot. He also scored in the discus with a sixth place finish and a toss of 44.27 meters (145'03"). Stueber was fourth in the shot put with a throw of 16.48 meter (54'1.00").
Freshman Matthew Brady with a new personal best in the shot put at 17.51 meters and finishes second pic.twitter.com/Gpb3Rex2VE
— UConn Track & Field / XC (@UConnMTrack) April 13, 2019
R-Sophomore Michael Jeffers (Clifton Park, N.Y.) made his season debut and return from surgery in the javelin and came home with a fourth place finish. Jeffers came up with a throw of 58.80 meters (192'11").
In the hammer, senior Sebastian Castano (Cresskill, N.J.) was just a tick off his top throw of the season and finished fourth in the field with a heave of 55.54 meters (182'3").
Senior Sebastian Castano getting the day started in the hammer. #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/ZpVxOO2AgA
— UConn Track & Field / XC (@UConnMTrack) April 13, 2019
Sophomore Michael Jeffers makes his season debut in the Javelin #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/jeQMNdUb8Y
— UConn Track & Field / XC (@UConnMTrack) April 13, 2019
The Huskies will head to Princeton University next weekend to take part in the Larry Ellis Invitational on April 19 and 20.
Players Mentioned
