March 23, 2009

Myrtle Beach, SC - The Adelphi track team traveled down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last week for a spring training trip culminating in a meet at Myrtle Beach High School, the Shamrock Invitational hosted by Coastal Carolina University. The squad combined for 11 top-10 finishes which included one event winner and an NCAA provisional mark.

The meet began on Friday, March 20 with senior Kevin Durant running 10.83 in the qualifying heats of the 100 meter dash which was good enough to earn him a spot in the finals. Over in the distance events, the Harriers ran well as sophomore Ryan Pezzulo placed seventh with a 15:45 while senior Ify Anene placed eighth in 18:14 in the 5k. Capping the night was the 10k where graduate student Matt Dispensa won the event clocking in at just under the 32 minute mark with 31:58 while teammates Angel Ortega and Adam Clark finished just five seconds apart, 32:43 and 32:48, for fifth and sixth place respectively.

Saturday was the second and final day of the Shamrock Invitational. Durant placed fourth overall in the 100 meter dash, besting his qualifying time by .2 and stopping the clock at 10.63 for a personal best. Freshman Mychael Fabio placed second in the 400 meter dash just missing out on first place by .01. His time of 47.57 is a personal best and an NCAA provisional mark. Fabio also placed 10th in the 200 meter dash with a time of 21.87, just a few tenths away from another provisional mark.

Danielle Matteo and Jenilee Fuertes competed in the 3k and fared well as they finished within a second of each other, both at 11:06 and finishing 12th and 13th respectively. The meet was capped off with the 4x400 meter relay where Claudine Petit, Alex Dranoff, Heather Troutman and Danielle Lyons teamed up to stop the clock at 4:11.29, good enough for an 11th place finish.

The Panthers return to action on Friday and Saturday, April 3-4 when they travel to Princeton University to compete in the Sam Howell Invitational.