University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Big East Indoor Track & Field Championship
Huskies Aim for BIG EAST Championship this Weekend in Chicago
2/24/2022 10:17:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
WATCH | LIVE RESULTS
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn track and field teams have arrived in Chicago and are set to challenge for the 2022 BIG EAST Indoor Championship this weekend at the Track & Field Center at Gately Park. The entirety of the meet will air on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi on FloSports.
The UConn men have a wealth of depth and experience heading into this weekend and this indoor season won both scored meets they participated in Harvard's Beantown Challenge and the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge. Â UConn is ranked second in the latest USTFCCCA Northeast Region poll heading into the championship weekend.
Last spring, the Huskies announced their return to the BIG EAST by winning the outdoor championship in dominating fashion as they look to capture their 10th indoor title and 15th overall BIG EAST Championship (9 indoor/5 outdoor). The 2021 BIG EAST Championship was not held due to the covid-19 pandemic and the Huskies last won the title in the 2013 season, their last in the BIG EAST.
"It's not about the performance lists anymore, it's about us now and how we perform this weekend," stated Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Greg Roy. "Competitors compete. And if we go out do that, we are going to be just fine.  When you look at the conference event rankings, clearly we are the team to beat. That is why we got rid of the rankings list. Each individual in the men's program has to take responsibility for their own piece of the competition and make sure they win their individual battles.  That will take care of business."
"We are healthy, we have had some great meets this season and we are excited and ready to go put a great effort together."
UConn enters the weekend championship meet at the top of seven events in the BIG EAST rankings. Junior Wellington Ventura (Cresskill, N.J.) is atop the 400-meter list, an event he holds the UConn school record in and has won three-times at events this indoor season. His fastest time this season came last time out, a 46.63 at the BU Valentine Invite. Ventura is no stranger to the medal podium, having won the 400-meter title at the last indoor championship in 2020 in the AAC. He currently ranks 27th in the NCAA in the 400 meters.
Freshman Terrel Williams (Maplewood, N.J.) has had a break-out indoor season, leading the 60-meter hurdles rankings. The 2021 BIG EAST 110-meter hurdle champion at last spring's outdoor meet, Williams has three wins under his belt this indoor season in the 60 hurdles and set a new PR at 7.81 seconds at the Columbia meet. He is currently ranked 26th in the nation.
Junior Joseph O'Brien (Shrewsbury, Mass.) owns the fastest time in the conference in the 60-meter dash this season, clocking a 6.80 seconds at the Columbia meet at New York City's Armory, his best time ever. He also ranks second in the 200 meters. Senior Eric Van Der Els (Norwalk, Conn.) broke the school record in the mile this season, 3:58.76 at the BU Terrier Classic, and sits eighth in the rankings headed into the weekend.
UConn distance medley relay team will enter the weekend owning the fastest time in the league this season. Marzio Mastroianni (Branford, Conn.), Mahamed Sharif (Westbrook, Maine), Stephen Sutton (Tolland, Conn.) and Kevin Cawley (Massapequa, N.Y.) ran a 9:55.06 back at the Columbia Challenge.
The UConn field athletes are in the top-three in the ranking of every event lead by Daniel Claxton (Nesconset, N.Y.), who is first in the high jump, Travis Snyder (Saco, Maine) who leads the pole vault and Richard Kwaateng (Lowell, Mass.) who is tops in the long jump.
Claxton's best jump this indoor season was 2.13 meters, coming at the Beantown Challenge at Harvard. He won the high jump at last spring's BIG EAST outdoor championship. Snyder has a pair of wins on his ledger this indoor season in the pole vault and had his best height at 5.30 meters competiting in the heptathlon at Harvard. Snyder was the outdoor champion at last spring's BIG EAST meet and he is currently 28th nationally in the rankings this season.
Kwaateng burst on the scene last spring with a win in the long jump at the outdoor championship. He leads the conference rankings and had his best jump this season at 7.36 meters, a new PR, at the Columbia Challenge.Â
In the heptathlon, the Husky foursome of Snyder and Jordan Torney (Toms River, N.J.), Benjamin Grosse (Wayzata, Minn.) and Nicholas Pronovost (Coventry, Conn.) are set to compete this weekend and are the top-ranked event squad in the USTFCCCA Event Rankings.
This will be the final opportunity for several Huskies to have a shot at qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship. After this weekend, the Huskies will have one meet left this indoor season, the 2021 IC4A Championship in Boston. Last year's IC4A meet was cancelled with the Huskies winning their third-straight title in 2020, the program's fifth IC4A championship.
Players Mentioned
