STATEN ISLAND, NY – Twenty members of the Houghton track & field teams traveled to the Ocean Breeze Track & Field Center in Staten Island on Friday. This high-level meet took place on a hydraulic, banked indoor track. Teams of all NCAA Divisions were represented at the meet.
Rachel Domaracki opened up the competition for the Highlanders in the 5,000m. She ended up 6
th place overall in the race in a huge personal best of 18:37.50. This is the second fastest time in the Empire 8 this year, and 6
th in program history. Soon after,
Caleb Kasper took to the track in the same event. He finished 12
th overall, in a humongous personal best of 15:25.66. At the time he ran it, it was the top time in the Empire 8 this year and 2
nd in program history! These performances set the tone for a very successful day for the track & field teams.
Other top ten program performances were
Evan Kurtz in the 200m (23.45),
Malachi Yeager in the long jump (6.69m),
Zach Tucker in the mile run (4:33.14), and
Amanda Burrichter in the mile run (5:06.68). Most of these marks also ran very high on the Empire 8 performance lists for the upcoming championships in two weeks. Other personal bests included
Kyra Binney in the 800m (2:27.72),
Noelle Linenfelser in the 800m (2:31.88),
Kennedy McCoy in the 3,000m (11:16.11),
Josh Brito in the 200m (24.65),
Amos Bixler in the mile run (4:35.77),
Ben Allen in the mile run (4:40.11),
Sam Lyon in the mile run (4:48.09), and
Colin Campbell in the mile run (4:48.49).
Coach Hager commented on their trip, "There's been a lot of hype over the last few years of heading to Boston and now NYC for big meets, at a banked track. Rarely do these events disappoint for us. We preach this as a 'business trip', but it also serves to set the tone for the rest of our indoor year, rolling into outdoor. Several athletes today set a bar for themselves, and the team, that they'll now be held to. It's a privilege to have that bar raised, and well earned. My mouth was on the floor for a few of these performances watching our athletes just compete out of their minds, for a lack of better phrasing. All we try to do is set them up for training, and situations that allow for success. We push them very hard, and try to balance intensity levels in training and racing, as well as finding the 'red line' of where their bodies can go. To see it all come together is satisfying, and we are thankful. The only grim circumstance is that, unfortunately, COVID has reared it's head for a few athletes, so hopefully we can recover quick, and not let it interrupt our momentum."
The track & field teams are in action next Friday, 2/17, at Nazareth College for their Last Chance Invitational.
