The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's and women's outdoor track & field team hosted the 2009 Metropolitan Championships, Saturday, April 18 at the Bergen County Overpeck Park Sportsplex in Palisades Park, NJ. Seniors Reyon John (Buccoo, Trinidad & Tobago/Singnal Hill) and Thomas Mackey (Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton) both won two events on the afternoon.
Complete individual and team results can be accessed by utilizing the blue hyperlink located at the upper left-hand side of this page.
The men placed fourth out of nine teams with 80 points. The Knights' women's program landed in fifth out of 10 squads (65 points).
John won the 100 meters in 10.66 then notched an NCAA Regional-qualifying time of 21.18 in the 200m. Mackey took the 400m hurdles hardware (54.23) and the 100m hurdles, crossing the line in 14.86. Both student-athletes were members of the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams that placed third and fourth, respectively.
Mackey led off the 4x100m unit, followed by John, freshman Eric Hall (Mount Vernon, NY/Mount St. Michael), and sophomore Miguel Zapata (Bronx, NY/St. Raymond). Hall started the 4x400m, backed by freshman Shakor Jukes (Newark, NJ/North 13th Street Vocational Tech), with John and Mackey anchoring things.
Junior Yavuz Inanli, junior Jonathan Chelimo (Kabamet, Kenya/Western), freshman Kimutai Bett (Litein, Kenya/Chebisaas Boys), and junior Joseph Quiroz (North Arlington, NJ/Queen of Peace) finished the 4x800m relay in sixth.
In the shot put, freshman Zacharia Ahmed (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) went for third, fueled by a 14.12m heave. Junior Nik Berisha (Bronx, NY/Mount St. Michael) collected fourth with a 13.95m. Berisha finished the discus in fourth (41.73m) and Ahmed added a 35.22m toss to take ninth ? both personal-best distances. In the hammer throw, Berisha placed eighth (40.34m) with a season best.
Freshman Senghor Kamguia (Watertown, NY/Watertown) completed the triple jump with a mark of 13.71m (second place).
On the women's side, Altagracia Vasquez completed the 100m in seventh, in addition to her fifth-place effort in the long jump ? a personal-best distance of 5.55m. The freshman ran the second leg of 4x100m, combining with junior Claudine Williams, sophomore Nickelle Smith, and freshman Jessica Greenaway for a 49.36.
Senior Dara Jones finished the 200m in eighth (25.83), with Williams right behind in eighth (25.88). D. Jones also went for seventh in the 400m, by virtue of a 58.26. The senior ran the second stretch of the 4x400m ? teaming with senior Jessica Sanders, Greenaway, and Williams ? to register 3:54.63.
Sanders placed fourth in the 400m on the strength of a 1:04.48, while junior Hawa Massaquoi followed in sixth (1:07.55).
In the 100m hurdles, freshman Evana Edwards claimed fifth, logging a 15.56. Sophomore Lauren Kilson added a personal-best clip in the triple jump, 10.82m.
Sophomore Taryn O'Connor finished second in the shot put (season best 12.52m). She then garnered third in the discus, propelled by her personal best 37.65m. Sophomore Jaclyn Jarmulowicz collected fourth in that event (31.75m). O'Connor placed third in the hammer throw with a school record 41.21m heave, while Jarmulowicz chipped-in a fourth-place showing in the javelin.
Select student-athletes travel to the University of Pennsylvania Relays in Philadelphia, held Tuesday, April 21 through Saturday, April 25.
