Track up to speed in NH

Author: Tom McCann

The Feb break that provides such a welcome transition from Winter Term to the Spring semester was anything but relaxing for the men and women indoor track teams, as they headed to Dartmouth last weekend. Whether they were coming from campus, home or a cozy New Hampshire cabin, Middlebury's finest headed down to Hanover for their penultimate opportunity to qualify for the Division III New England Championships to be held later this month.

On the women's side, Alli Williams '05 stood out for the Panthers in the 800m, coming home in a time of 2:26.01, good enough for fifth place on the day. In the field events, Jen Currie '08 was the star of the show, launching for 12.96m in the weight throw. Her toss was good enough to earn her third-place in the event, the highest performing Panther women in the meet.

Williams, one of the captains of the team this year, has been a consistently high performer during the season, and will look to continue that as she leads her women into a meet at Tufts next weekend. The trip down to Boston represents a final chance for some athletes to claim their place at the N.E. Championships just around the corner.

Turning to the men, the 200m saw Kevin Bright '06 run the 200m in 23.30, carrying him to the tape in eighth place, while first-year Patrick Swan went two better in the 400m, finishing sixth in a time of 51.41.

Jon Erwin '05 was another runner who finished in the top 10, placing eighth in the 800m, while Nick Digani '05 showed Middlebury just what it will be missing when he graduates later this year, breaking his own school record (again), in the same race, finishing second in 1:54.94.

While Digani may have broken his record once more, the only Middlebury athlete to claim top-spot went to first-year Jimmy Butcher, who, defying his youth and relative lack of intercollegiate racing experience, turned in a startling performance in the 3000m, winning by a margin of more than four seconds in a time of 9:02.45. The 60m hurdles saw junior Matt Engler finish sixth in the final, breaking the tape in 8.80, while Middlebury's relay teams also performed well, taking fourth place in the 4x400m, and second in the distance relay.

With the indoor track season moving into the business end, it's time for the Bright's and Digani's of the world to start honing themselves for a push at Championship honors, while for many others, qualification for the invitationals rest on a final opportunity at Tufts next weekend.

However, when the curtain comes down on the indoor season, the curtain is almost simultaneously raised on the outdoor track and field season. Indeed with the weather as it currently is, Middlebury's athletes may be able to get out there even earlier than usual, greatly benefiting both male and female athletes on the field and on the track. For now though, it's all eyes on Tufts.