Indoor track runners aim high for New England meet

In its first meet of the indoor season, the Panther track and field team put up some impressive results.

The squad traveled to Dartmouth last Sunday to compete in the 41st Dartmouth Relays.

Teams from around the area on both sides of the border came to Hanover to participate in the meet.

Overall, the Middlebury men and women both finished in 12th place, with certain individual performances outshining the teams’ collective successes.

Six athletes in particular stood out with results that qualified them for New England’s at the end of the season. Five athletes from the women’s side- Becca Fanning ’12 and Sarah O’Brien ’13 in the 800, Emily Dodge ’13 in the triple jump, Grace Doering ’13 in the high jump, and Mia Martinez ’12 in the 55 hurdles.

On the men’s side, pole vaulter Adam Dede was the sole athlete to qualify for the meet with a vault of 13’ 6.25”.

Adding to the success of the women’s team, the 4x200 relay of Martinez, Dodge, Christine Walsh ’13 and Jessica Berry ’13 and the 4x400 relays of Walsh, Berry, Fanning, and O’Brien also qualified for New England’s.

“The first-years look strong; they’re really enthusiastic,” said Christina Kunycky ’11, a statement certainly corroborated by the meet’s results.

She also gave a shout out to the veterans saying, “the leadership on the team is very enthusiastic and they’re all very strong runners. They will certainly lead the team well.”

“The season looks very promising,” she said overall, noting the depth and lack of holes.

Kaitlynn Saldanha ’11, an All-American runner last year, should be looked to again this year for similar performances.

The women seem to be getting a head start on the men early on in the season, as they continue to build on the strengths and successes of past years. The men may have some catching up to do, but it is not for lack of talent. If this year’s men’s cross country squad is a barometer of success, the men’s track and field team can expect to improve on last year’s results.

“The team has recently starting showering together and I think that’s been really good for our bonding dynamic,” said Kunycky.

Perhaps the men’s side should take a page out of their book if they’re looking for similar success.

However, “not everyone competed at Dartmouth,”

Dede noted, “so this weekend will be the real season opener to see how well the team can score overall.”