Fast Times and Far Throws in Boston

Returning home with the first national championship in men’s indoor track and field in program history and nine athletes across the men’s and women’s teams earning all-American laurels, the Middlebury track and field team finished the season with impressive results at the NCAA Championships in Boston.

When asked about how the Tufts Last Chance Meet prepared the team for the Championships, Abigail Nadler ’19 said, “The Tufts meet was a great opportunity to practice and gain confidence going into Nationals. Both men’s and women’s Distance Medley relays are strong and ready to perform. Personally, I am excited to lay down a fast race alongside my teammates and enjoy the atmosphere as a senior.”

The men were in a tie for 17th place in a total field of 67 teams with 11 points. In the distance medley relay, the men were able to capture first place with an NCAA-winning time of 9:56.54. This team was composed of Nathan Hill ’20, Arden Coleman ’20, Jimmy Martinez ’19 and Jon Perlman ’19. Minhaj Rahman ’19 was also an important contributor for the men as he finished in eighth place in the weight throw event with a farthest throw of 19.08 m.

On his performance, Martinez said, “Winning the DMR was sweet. Watching Jon [Perlman] kick down the home straightaway and celebrate across the line was one of the coolest sights of the entire weekend. The place was packed with our friends and teammates, and it was so loud. The hype was unreal. All the work paid off and I’m so happy to have been a part of this relay.”

The women were in a tie for sixteenth place in a total field of seventy-six teams with 12 points. Rory Kelly ’19 was able to obtain second place in the 3,000 meter run with a time of 9:45.85, earning all-American honors. The women’s DMR team, made up of Nadler, Kelly, Gretchen McGrath ’21 and Cassie Kearney ’22.

Kelly appreciated the support from her teammates over the championship weekend. “Everyone competed with a lot of courage, and the entire team, those competing, those who came down to Boston to support us, and those supporting from Middlebury, really enjoyed celebrating the successes of our team this weekend,” she said.

With the end of the indoor season, the outdoor season is only a few weeks away, with the first meet being the PLNU Collegiate Invitational on Saturday, Mar. 23.

“I am so psyched for the outdoor season, and especially our training trip to San Diego over spring break,” Kelly said. “We bond a lot as a team on the trip while training but even more so in the time in between while chilling on the beach, hiking, and eating ice cream.”

Martinez said, “I’m excited for outdoors, especially the San Diego meets. I am in good shape now, and plan to get in even better shape out there. I’m also very excited to keep up our tradition of crushing kombucha before our races. I, along with Nathan, plan to try a new flavor every week. We attribute most of our success during indoors to the co-op’s kombucha aisle. Hopefully, it will help us run even faster outdoors.”

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