Eight members of the Brandeis track & field teams competed at two different meets this weekend, as the Judges continue to wind down their season and push towards the NCAA Championships.
Junior Mohamed Sidique (Harlem, N.Y./St. Raymond H.S. for Boys) is tied for ninth in the country in the triple jump, and is almost certainly heading to NCAAs. Senior Amelia Lundkvist (So. Portland, Maine/Cheverus) and sophomore Kelsey Whitaker (Kingston, Mass./Notre Dame Acad.) both improved their chances, setting new PRs in the 1500.
Six Brandeis runners competed at the New Balance Twilight meet, which was held at Bentley University featured a variety of unattached and professional runners. Five Judges competed in the 1500, and all five set new personal records.
Brandeis had three of the top 10 runners on the women's side. Lundkvist placed third, finishing in 4:34.07. She knocked more than one second off of her previous best, and is currently ranked 17th in Division III.
Whitaker took fifth with a time of 4:36.57. That is good for 33rd in the country, leaving her squarely on the bubble for qualifying.
Senior Victoria Sanford (LaGrangeville, N.Y./Andover) finished ninth in the 1500, timing in at 4:40.07. It was more than two seconds better than her previous personal best.
Junior Kristi Pisarik (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) finished in 4:48.60, good for 14th. It was only the third time she has ran the event at Brandeis, and bettered her previous time by more than six seconds.
On the men's side, sophomore Grady Ward (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) finished in 4:02.70, good for 13th. Rookie Quinton Hoey (Watertown, Conn./Watertown) ran a 4:05.36 to finish in 17th. Both cut several seconds off of their PRs.
Junior Jarret Harrigan (Ipswich, Mass./St. Johns Prep) ran the 3K at the New Balance Meet. He finished in 9:07.64, good for eighth place.
Two Judges competed at the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association (NEICAAA) Outdoor Championship at Westfield State University. The meet featured many of the best Division I, II and III athletes in the region.
Sidique earned All-New England honors, taking fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 47 feet, 4.25 inches. It was the third week in a row that he'd broken 43 feet, and his length of 47' 9.75" from last week has him poised to reach nationals.
Rookie Maddie Dollins (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) wrapped up her rookie season, running the 5K at the meet on Friday. She finished in 17:53.18, nearly nine seconds better than her previous PR.
The next meet on the Brandeis schedule is the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships on Thursday and Friday at RPI. Lundkvist, Whitaker and Sanford will compete, and may be joined by one or two other runners.
The NCAA Championships are May 22-24 at Ohio Wesleyan.