The College’s men’s and women’s track and field teams finally left the sancity of indoor tracks in exchange for some fresh air as they ran in the 16th annual Monmouth Invitational in West Long Branch.
The outdoor track season opened with the Lions performing well at the invitational.
The invitational hosted by Monmouth University consisted of 1,550 entries from 32 colleges and six clubs, including several Division I institutions.
The women’s team began the season on a high note, boasting top finishes as well as strong Division III showings.
Senior Meryl Wimberley finished third overall in the 400-meter with a time of 58.70 seconds. Classmate Alexandra Tomaselli placed fifth in the same event with a time of 1:01.48. Both Lions were the top two Division III athletes in this event.
Senior Sarah Wehrhan competed in the throwing events and placed sixth in the hammer throw with a distance of 44.43 meters, which was the top performance in Division III.
Tomaselli teamed up with junior Nicole Brown, sophomore Brielle Doremus and freshman Emily Kulcyk to run the 4x400 relay.
They posted a time of 4:16.21, good enough for fifth place overall.
The men’s team started its season with some top finishes and athletic versatility.
The 1600-meter relay team of junior Chris Medina, and sophomores Kyle Magliaro, Steve D’Aiutolo and Alex Brown finished third in their event with a time of 3:39.53.
“The majority of runners in our heat were Division I,” Medina said. “We missed (the College’s) record by less than 15 seconds.”
Looking further ahead, Medina’s personal goals this season include breaking school records and placing in the NCAA tournament.
“This year we have a really good chance to place high,” Medina said. “There is a great opportunity for younger guys to step up.”
D’Aiutolo and freshman Scott Lisa were jumpers during the indoor season but switched it up for this competition.
Lisa placed third in the 100-meter race posting a time of 11.41 seconds. D’Aiutolo took fifth place in the 400-meter with a time of 50.45 seconds.
Sophomore Julio Alorro placed fourth overall and first in Division III in the pole vault clearing a height of 4.42 meters.
Classmate John Arnold finished sixth in the 1000-meter run posting a time of 33:53.07.
Next up for the Lions is the Roadrunner Invitational hosted by Ramapo College on April 2.
