Tampa Track Opens Season at Embry-Riddle
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The University of Tampa men's and women's track teams opened the 2014 season at Embry-Riddle.
The Spartan women began with the 3,000 Meter Run, as Chantalle Blundell was third with a personal best time of 10:25.8. Vanessa Righeimer was fourth with a personal best of 10:26.1 as Kelly Hagan was fifth at 10:42.3. Also running for Tampa were Elaina Cancello (7th, 11:06.6) and Ronni Mercier (8th, 11:23.2).
In the Men's 3,000 Meter Run, Matt Hoffman was 11th with a time
of 9:11.6. Aaron Oldanie was 25th after being clocked at 9:40.1,
which was also a personal best.
The men's 1,000 Meter Run featured Jessie Boria, who was fifth at
2:35.9. Scott Billings was ninth with a personal best time of
2:41.1. In the men's 600 Meter Run, Marcus Tivis was sixth at
1:27.0, marking a personal best.
The women's 1 Mile Run featured a Spartan taking home first place as Claudia Cancello notched a personal best 5:13.6. Also running were Blundell (4th, 5:27.7), Righeimer (5th, 5:28.7). Brianna Jackson (10th, 5:56.1), Tori Ehrhardt (11th, 5:59.4) and Rose Bastain (12th, 6:00.0).
Tampa also had a host of runners in the 400 Meter Run, led by an 11th-place effort from Sara Balzer (1:03.7). Brianna Cantave (14th, 1:04.6), Skye Tonnesen (19th, 1:07.2), Angelica Wagner (23rd, 1:08.2), Jocelyn Doina (25th, 1:11.0) and Nicole Cleary (27th, 1:14.0) also represented the Spartans.
Jimmy Wear was seventh in the men's 400 Meter Run, establishing a new school record with a time of 50.29. B.J. Janas also competed, finishing 30th with a showing of 59.29.
Kelsey Burnett was the lone Spartan in the women's 60 Meter Dash, placing 27th at 9.5. The men's 60 Meter Dash had a pair of Spartans in Yona Lobulu (50th, 7.70 PR) and Ryan Rogers (53rd, 7.97).
In the women's 800 Meter Run, Sarah Waller was the top UT runner, finishing second with a time of 2:20.5. Tori Ehrhardt (16th, 2:44.8), Brianna Jackson (20th, 2:47.9) and Rose Bastain (21st, 2:48.1) also competed.
The men's 800 Meter Run was paced by Jessie Boria, who was eighth with a time of 2:01.1. Scott Billings (15th, 2:03.3) and Marcus Tivis (24th, 2:07.3) also ran.
The Spartans entered seven runners in the women's 200 Meter Dash, led by a personal best effort from Balzer (19th, 27.87). Also running for head coach Jarrett Slaven were Cantave (27th, 29.99), Wagner (31st, 29.58), Doina (34th, 30.64), Tonnesen (36th, 30.71), Burnett (38th, 31.76) and Cleary (39th, 32.62).
In the men's 200 Meter Dash, a personal best from Lobulu placed him 51st at 25.37. Evan Wheeler (52nd, 25.72), Rogers (54th, 25.74) and Janas (59th, 26.62 PR) also competed.
Sophomore Danielle Kissel was the lone Tampa runner in the 5,000 Meter Run, as she came away with a first-place performance. She was clocked at 18:22.3, which was also a personal best.
Tampa's men had four in the 5,000 Meter Run, as Geremy DeWitt was third with a time of 15:31.8. It was also a personal best. Mike Zwijacz (4th, 15:37.7), Cory Munsch (7th, 16:16.4 PR) and Kyle Taylor (8th, 16:19.9 PR) also ran for the UT men.
The Spartan men concluded the meet in the 4x400 Meter Relay, finishing ninth with a time of 3:33.7 coming from Boria, Tivis, Billings and Wear.
Tampa will return to action on March 14-15 in Tampa at the USF Meet.
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