The Lions racked up more Eastern College Athletic Conference- (ECAC) qualifying times this past weekend at Boston University's Valentine's Day Invitational.
"This meet gave the team a chance to travel," head coach Eric Mobley said. "It was a great opportunity to face some great schools that we don't normally see."
On the men's side, the College is currently ranked No. 14 in the U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association Division III Coaches Power Rankings poll.The team excelled in numerous events on Friday.
In the 400-meter race, junior Rob McGowan paved the way for the Lions. McGowan placed 22nd overall, but ran a competitive time of 49.26 seconds.
Pacing closely behind were freshmen Kyle Gilroy (51st, 50.53 seconds) and Jule Brooks (62nd, 50.70 seconds). All three runners qualified for the ECAC Championships in the 400 meters.
An ECAC time was additionally earned in the 4x400-meter relay. Brooks, Gilroy, McGowan and senior Steve Murray came together with a time of 3:21.21.
In the 800-meter, junior Pasquale DiGioacchino had an impressive ECAC-qualifying time of 1:54.85 for 28th place.
Senior Josh Krowicki also competed in the 800, finishing 68th in a time of 1:57.90.
The final two ECAC standards came from sophomore DeShard Stevens and junior Chris Guerriero.
Making a huge impact on the sprinting team, Stevens placed 11th in the 500-meter race, crossing the finish line in 1:05.32.
Guerriero competed in the 5,000-meter and came in 37th with a time of 14:55.80.
Guerriero believes the teams' performances this weekend were one of the best showings the team has experienced in a long time.
"Almost everyone ran a personal best or very close and it was just a great meet to boost everyone's confidence and excitement for the season," he said.
The women competed on day two of the Invitational.
The Lions' distance medley relay team was the lone competitor at the meet, but it posted an NCAA provisional time. It is also currently ranked No. 1 in the country for this event.
The relay team was comprised of junior Stephanie Herrick, freshman Rochelle Prevard, freshman Meryl Wimberly and junior Martine McGrath. The Lions posted a time of 11:54.64 and captured fourth place.
Week after week the Lions are exceeding previous times and running personal bests.
"This meet showed us that we can compete with the best people out there," McGrath said.
The College is scheduled to compete next at 168th St. Armory, New York City, in the Lafayette College/Rider University Invitational this Friday.
According to McGowan, the team feels well prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.
"Coach Mobley has really been doing a great job preparing us for the season," he said.
He continued, "The base endurance we've been getting from his workouts combined with varied days of speed workouts have really helped to highlight everyone's potential."
