Taxter provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in two months in his indoor season debut today. (PHOTO BY Courtney Daggett) |
Senior All-American posts sixth-fastest mile this season
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (January 12, 2019) – The Stonehill College men's track and field program resumed its indoor schedule as the only non-Division I program competing at the Beantown Challenge, hosted by Harvard University, at Gordon Indoor Track this afternoon.
Senior All-American Lucas Taxter led the way for Stonehill on Saturday by provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Division II Championships in Pittsburg, Kansas, in March, with a second place finish in the one mile run in 4:10.69. He led five Skyhawks in the field of 40 runners overall, with senior Matthew Shaw taking 18th in a personal-best 4:23.94. Taxter's time currently ranks sixth nationally in Division II – 1.32-seconds off the top time in the country so far this winter, and fastest in the Northeast-10 Conference.
Senior All-American Stephen Vercollone finished sixth out of 37 entries in the 1000-meter run in a personal-best 2:30.22 to lead three Skyhawks in the event. Sophomore Christopher Lanahan placed 16th in a personal-best 2:31.78.
Vercollone, Shaw and Lanahan were all part of the Stonehill 4x880-meter relay that finished ninth in 8:11.06. Lanahan ran the lead leg, followed by junior Jeremy Breen, and Shaw, before Vercollone completed the anchor leg.
Stonehill collected 11 points behind the efforts of Taxter and Vercollone to post a tenth place team finish at the event.
Vercollone finished sixth in the 1000-meter run with a personal-best time. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Other Stonehill Results Include:
Junior Justin Ireland and sophomore Hampton Boyd finished 11th and 12th, respectively, out of 40 sprinters in the 200-meter dash. Ireland finished in 22.51-seconds, while Boyd posted a personal-best time of 22.56-seconds. Ireland also placed 13th out of 31 entries in the 60-meter dash prelims in 7.10-seconds.
Senior All-American Alex Demeule finished 12th out of 25 competitors in the 3000-meter run in 8:44.82.
Sophomore Ethan Famiano and junior Collin Kuchachik placed 14th and 15th, respectively, out of 22 entries in the 60-meter high hurdles. Famiano clocked in at 8:62-seconds, while Kuchachik posted a time of 8.76.
Senior Darren Shi placed 15th in the shot put with a distance of 44-feet, 6.25-inches.
Stonehill is back in action next Saturday, when it competes at the Sorlein Invitational, hosted by the University of Rhode Island, starting at 11 a.m.
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