Rams Win 9 Events, 3 Relays at First-Ever Track Meet
- 7 ECAC Qualifiers; Brown and Pierre break school record in the Hammer -
Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State men's and
women's outdoor track teams won nine individual events and three
relays in the Farmingdale Invitational, the first-ever outdoor
track meet at the new complex at Farmingdale State on Saturday,
March 27th.
The men's team had four ECAC qualifiers, one relay and three individuals, for the day as they took seven 1st's, five 2nd's and six 3rd place finishes among the 13 teams competing in the meet, which included Division I Sacred Heart University, Division II schools Dowling, Molloy and Queens, six Division III schools and three Community Colleges.
Highlighting the men was junior Deshaun Thomas (Jamaica, N.Y./Thomas Edison), who won two events and ran the third leg of the 1st place 4x100-meter Relay team. He also placed 1st in the 100-meter Dash (11.14) and the 200-meter Dash (22.42). The 4x100m Relay team, including freshman Yaw Affum (Brooklyn, N.Y./Medgar Evers Prep), sophomore Steve Brown (Wheatley Heights, N.Y./Hills East), Thomas and freshman Donnell Jones (Brooklyn, N.Y./Valley Stream Central), qualified for the ECAC's with a time of 44.00.
Freshman Edward Brown IV (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) took 1st place in the Hammer Throw, breaking a school record with a throw of 163' 6" (49.83m). Brown also placed 2nd in the Discus (42.47m - 139' 4).
The men's 4x400-meter Relay team of Steve Brown, sophomore Samar Hall (Jamaica, N.Y./Lindenhurst), sophomore James Owen (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) and junior Greg Denis (Tallahassee, Fla./Elmont (NY)) , took 1st place with a time of 3:26.67.
Other winners were junior captain Qasim Ellis (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) in the Triple Jump (13.00m - 42' 8"), Donnell Jones in the Long Jump (6.31m - 20' 8 1/2"), Steve Brown in the High Jump (1.83m - 6') and junior Nick David (Mount Sinai, N.Y./Mount Sinai) in the Pole Vault (4.42m - 14' 6"). David's vault qualified him in the ECAC's, while Steve Brown qualified in the 110-meter High Hurdles with a 3rd place finish in 15.70.
The women's team had three ECAC qualifiers and a new school record in the Hammer Throw by sophomore Gina Pierre (Wyandanch, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) with a toss of 41.25m (135' 4") placing her in 5th place for the meet. Freshman Corine Magee (Mastic Beach, N.Y./William Floyd) won two events (100m Dash, 200m Dash) and ran the final leg of the 1st place 4x100m Relay team (51.09) with freshman Vicky Mandat (West Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon), freshman Kathleen Clermont (Uniondale, N.Y./Uniondale) and freshman Faustine Chukwuezi (Central Islip, N.Y./Central Islip).
The Rams had five second place finishes and two 3rd place finishes. Mandat ran the lead leg of the 4x100-meter Relay, while also taking 2nd in the 100m Hurdles (15.41), 3rd in the 200m Dash (26.77) and 3rd in the Triple Jump (10.28m - 33" 8 3/4").
Chukwuezi finished in second place in both the Long Jump (4.85m - 15' 11") and Triple Jump (10.60m - 34' 9 1/2"), while sophomore Dominique Cunningham (Amityville, N.Y./Copiague) placed 2nd in the High Jump (1.38m - 4' 6 1/4") and junior Janel Monah (Westbury, N.Y./Westbury) place 2nd in the 100m Dash (13.40).
The teams will run next at the Penn Invitational on Saturday, April 3rd at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa.
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