FIGHTING TIGER MEN’S TRACK DOMINATES SWANSON INVITATIONAL

The 2008 version of the Swanson Outdoor Track & Field Invitational hosted by Wesleyan College in Middletown, CT is a non-scoring qualifying meet. However there was little doubt about who the best program in Saturday’s invitational was as the SUNY Cobleskill men’s team stole the show by winning five individual events and two relays, posting nineteen NJCAA Division III National Qualifying efforts and establishing four new program records on the afternoon. The Fighting Tigers are currently ranked second in the latest NJCAA Division III National Poll.

The Cobleskill sprint corps ran away from the field as senior David Suarez, Hauppauge, NY, Hauppauge High School, took the 100 Meters with a national qualifying time of 11.25 seconds and placed third in the 200 Meters with a national qualifying performance of 22.49 seconds. Freshman Leon Thompson, Manhattan, NY, Fredrick Douglas Academy, established a new program record at 200 Meters winning the event with a national qualifying time of 22.24 seconds and placing second at 100 Meters by meeting the national standard with a time of 11.30 seconds.

At 400 Meters, Cobleskill took the first three spots in the event and had five national qualifying performances as freshman Joseph Appah, Manhattan NY, Walton High School, took the race by establishing a new program record and hitting the national qualifying mark with a time of 49.87 seconds followed by teammates senior Carlton Wildman, Huntington, NY, John Glenn High School, who was second in 49.96 seconds in second and freshman Brad Boice, Cambridge, NY, Cambridge High School, who placed third with a time of 50.23 seconds. Freshman Tomas Valesquez, Catskill, NY, Catskill High School, also met the national qualifying mark in fifth place with a time of 51.15 seconds as did senior Emille Barnett, Huntington, NY, John Glenn High School, in seventh place with a time of 51.74 seconds. Barnett also met the national qualifying mark in the 400 Meter Hurdles finishing second in a time of 59.59 seconds just behind his freshman teammate sprinter/jumper Aldin Gomez, Westbury, NY, Westbury High School, who won the event meeting the national standard with a time of 58.67 seconds.

In the mid-distance and distance events freshman Richard Garnett, Yonkers, NY, Roosevelt High School met the national standard at 1500 meters placing fourth overall with a time of 4:13.41 then placed second in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase with a time of 11:14.61. Senior Eric Graber, Troy, NY, Lansingburgh High School, placed sixth in the 1500 with a time of 4:22.96 then finished fifth in the 3000 Meters with a time of 10:05.05. At 5000 Meters freshman Dan Bulson, St. Petersburg, NY, Berlin High School, placed fourth in 17:19.51, freshman Nick O’Neil, Ballston Spa, NY, Ballston Spa High School, placed fifth in a time of 17:39.11 and freshman Alex Macbeth, Schenectady, NY, Schenectady High School, finished sixth in a time of 17:54.52.

In the field events, Aldin Gomez finished second in the Triple Jump meeting the national standard with a mark of 13.84 meters while senior jumper Kevin Amilcar, White Plains, NY, White Plains High School, finished second in the Long Jump with a national qualifying mark of 6.66 meters. In the Pole Vault it was freshman Jacob Schwartz White Sulpher Springs High School, winning the event over freshman teammate Kameron Whittmeyer, Yorkshire, NY, Pioneer High School, each meeting the national qualifying mark with a vault of 4.15 meters, Schwartz recording fewer misses to win, and breaking a program record that had stood since 1969. Freshman thrower Joe Valentin, Swan Lake, NY, Liberty High School, also met the national standard in the Hammer Throw finishing fourth overall with a toss of 39.53 meters to go with a second place finish in the Discus with an effort of 36.81 meters.

The Fighting Tigers also established a new program in the 4 X 100 Meter Relay as the team of Leon Thompson, Brad Boice, Carlton Wildman and David Suarez won the event with a national qualifying time of 42.86 seconds. Cobleskill also won the 4 X 400 Meter Relay as the team of Carlton Wildman, Brad Boice, Joseph Appah and Tomas Valesquez took the race in national standard meeting time of 3:36.32.

Cobleskill will return to action on Tuesday April 15th when, weather permitting, they will travel to Delhi, NY, to compete in the Bronco Invitational hosted by SUNY Delhi beginning at 3:00 PM.