Fitchburg State Visits Tufts University

Desrochers posts ECAC qualification marks: women’s 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams qualify for DIII NE’s

MEDFORD, Mass. (March 30, 2013) – The Fitchburg State men’s and women’s outdoor track & field teams were in action this afternoon as they competed at the 2013 Snowflake Classic hosted by Tufts University.

On the men’s side, senior Zach Desrochers (Dracut, Mass./Greater Lowell) qualified for four post-season honors in the hammer throw. The third year thrower notched MASCAC, DIII NE, All-NE and ECAC marks in the hammer throw, placing sixth overall with a toss of 50.39 meters. Desrochers also notched MASCAC honors in the discus (38.42m).

Sophomore Brendan Coan (Westbrook, Conn./Westbrook) also earned a pair of MASCAC qualifying marks in the shot put (11.50m) and discus (34.56m), while classmate David Oster (Port Monomouth, N.J./Middletown) collected MASCAC honors in the shot put with a throw of 11.40 meter.

On the track, freshman Kwaku Mensah (Worcester, Mass./Burncoat) (11.59), sophomore Elizear Torres (Bronx, N.Y./South Bronx) (11.68) and junior Tevin Bienaime (Swansea, Mass./Joseph Case) (11.81) all registered MASCAC times in the 100 meter dash, while sophomore Mark Wesgan (Lunenburg, Mass./Lunenburg) put forth a post-season time of 17.55 in the 110 meter hurdles.

Senior Will Lary (Winchendon, Mass./Murdock) registered a pair of MASCAC qualifying times in the 800m (2:04.75) and in the 1500m (4:10.75), while freshman Brandon Brideau (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) notched a post-season mark of 1:03.70 in the 400 meter hurdles.

In the 400 meter dash, sophomore Maximin Rocheleau and freshman Daniel Fitzpatrick (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) posted MASCAC times of 53.13 and 53.84 respectively, while freshman Joe Santiago (Ayer, Mass./Ayer) rounded out the top Falcon performances for the men with a post-season throw of 43.24 meters in the Javelin.

For the ladies, sophomore Rebecca McClure (Lyndeborough, N.H./Wilton-Lyndeborough) posted a pair of MASCAC qualifying marks in the pole vault (5th) with a height of 2.75 meter and in the 200 meter dash (28.36), while classmate Arthina Robert (Lynn, Mass./Lynn Voc Tech) also notched a pair of post-season marks in the 200 meter (28.70) and the 100m (7th) with a time of 12.97 to led the way.  

On the track, sophomore Rachel Blanchard (Billerica, Mass./Shawsheen Valley), classmate Tashanna Brown (Lynn, Mass./Lynn Classical) and freshman Shamira Nambafu (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) all registered MASCAC qualifying times in the 100m with times of 13.69, 14.47 and 14.80 respectively.

Junior Samantha Wilkinson (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield) (63.81) and sophomore Jenae Harrison (Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington) (2:29.69) were solid in the 400m and 800m, while sophomore Braila Roy (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) and freshman Jessica Mangan (Everett, Mass./Everett) both qualified for the MASCAC’s in the 1500 meter with times of 5:16.45 and 5:57.77.

The women’s 4x100 meter relay team of Robert, Blanchard, Brown and McClure placed seventh overall with a DIII New England time of 51.28, while the 4x400 meter relay team of Wilkinson, Harrison, Roy and junior Karollynn Wickless-Adams (Lansdale, Penn./North Penn) also qualified for the DIII NE’s (4:27.56) with a sixth place effort. Senior Linda Fortunato (Feeding Hills, Mass./Agawam) was also strong in the 5000 meter with a time of 21:00.

In the field, junior Brittany Chace (Foster, R.I./Ponaganset) notched a sixth place finish in the javelin with a DIII NE throw of 34.80 meters, while junior Katelyn Sletterink (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield) rounded out the top performances for the women, qualifying for the MASCAC’s in the hammer throw with a toss of 30.39 meters..

The Fitchburg State men’s and women’s outdoor track & field teams return to action on Saturday as it hosts the 2013 Jim Sheehan Memorial Meet starting at 10:30 a.m.