STENDER, SCOTT SHINE AT FINAL MEETS BEFORE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
WALTHAM, Mass. – At the final two meets before the 2016 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, the Brandeis track and field team had several personal records, one NCAA qualifier and one All-ECAC performance.
Leading the way, running at Tufts University, sophomore Ryan Stender (Amherst, Mass./Amherst Regional) followed up his University Athletic Association championship in the 3,000-meter run with a run that qualified him for the NCAA championships next weekend at Grinell College in Iowa. Stender finished in fourth place in the meet with a time of 8:21.36, surpassing his UAA championship time by more than 12 seconds. He now owns the 14th-ranked time in Division III and will earn his first trip to nationals. His seed will be determined after the field is officially announced tomorrow.
Also running at Tufts, sophomore Mitchell Hutton (Villa Park, Calif. / Villa Park) was 15th in the 3K with a time of 8:51.55. Junior Quinton Hoey (Watertown, Conn./Watertown), battling his way back from injury, set a p.r. in the mile run with a time of 4:21.74, good for sixth place.
At the ECAC Division III championships, held in Staten Island, N.Y., the Judges had one scoring performance. In the high jump, senior Evan Scott (North Kingstown, R.I. / North Kingstown) turned in a collegiate best leap of 1.98 meters – 6 feet, 6 inches. Scott's performance tied for the fourth-best at the meet and earned sixth-place based on his number of attempts. It was only the fifth meet of Scott's career.
Brandeis also had women running in three different events at the ECAC Championships. Senior Kelsey Whitaker (Kingston, Mass./Notre Dame Acad.) had the highest finish for the Judge runners, placing ninth in the mile run with a season-best time of 5:11.19, a second out of All-ECAC contention. Senior Maggie Hensel (Niskayuna, N.Y. / Niskayuna) placed 11th in the mile with a mark of 5:13.51, while sophomore Kyra Shreeve (Northborough, Mass. / Algonquin Reg.) was 17th with a time of 5:17.92, about four seconds off her season-best.
In the 400-meter run, sophomore Haliana Burhans (Charlotte, Vt./Champlain Valley Union ) placed 14th with a time of 59.34 seconds, while senior Tove Freeman (Oakham, Mass./Quabbin Regional) was just behind in 15th in 59.49 seconds.
Junior Kate Farrell (Windham, N.H. / Windham) placed 12th in the 3,000-meter run with a mark of 10:34.59.