Track Team Has Big Day at NJAC Championships
Ewing, N.J - The men's and women's track and field teams competed at the NJAC Championships for the last team competition for the 2014 season. Both teams have worked hard towards this culmination and did not disappoint.
Saturday began as senior Jenna Pearsall began competing in her first Heptathlon, just learning the majority of the events in the last two weeks of the season. Competing and setting school records for the High Hurdles, High Jump, and 200m, and then including the Shot Put, Jenna finished the first day with 1,330 points, just 650 points from the SJC school record with three events on day two.
Day one completed with freshman Ashley Arquer placing 8th in the 100m and advancing to the finals on day two.
Pearsall then began day two for the Eagles by competing in the Long Jump, Javelin, and 800m, finishing with 2456 points setting records in the Long Jump and 800m. Her overall point total record of 2456 points was nearly 500 points more than the previous record set in 2009. As Pearsall finished, the rest of the team began day two.
Arquer teamed up with Kelly Ingarra, Samantha Baculy, and Mary Cipriano in the 4x100m relay to place 6th. Arquer then battled her way in the 100m finals to an 8th place finish and only .01 from the school record. Arquer then concluded her first year with a new school record in the 200m with a time of 27.43 - breaking her own record by .02 seconds.
The women's 4x400m relay team of Baculy, Cipriano, and Samantha Maurice and Kelly Roberts concluded the women's season placing 7th.
The men also had great success as Mario Mayen set a season best in the 400m and bettering his ECAC qualifying time to 49.38. Mayen came around 200m strong and then shifted gears. As he came to the final straight he found he had a nice lead and worked hard to hold on but was narrowly edged by a strong Rutgers-Camden runner by .05 seconds. Mayen earned NJAC All-Conference Second Team honors with his performance.
Not long after Mayen feat, Brian Wersan ran in the 800m. Getting out strong and staying close to the leaders for the first 600m, Wersan charged and passed the field before the final turn. TCNJ gave chase but Wersan proved the stronger as he held on for the win and First Team All-Conference honors. Jonathan Afanador ran competitively from the second heat and placed 7th overall.
Mayen, Wersan, and Afandor than teamed with Kevin Sanders for the final event of the day for the men, the 4x400m relay. Mayen ran hard from the gun and handed off to Sanders in third place, breaking 50 seconds for the fourth time in as many races. Sanders bared down and was able to hand the baton to Afandor in the lead. Afanador fought hard and handed the baton off to Wersan just behind Rutgers-Newark. Wersan set his eyes on the anchor leg and was able to pass the opposing team in the final meters. All eyes then focused on the next heat of the men's 4x400m relay team, which had the faster teams. As each leg handed off St Joseph's saw they had a chance to be one of the top teams. As the final heat concluded St Joseph's found itself in 3rd place, bettering both their school record and ECAC qualifier time.
From here, Mayen, Sanders, Afanador, and Wersan will move on to the ECAC meet in Troy, N.Y. on May 15-16 where they will compete in both the 4x400m relay and 4x800m relay. Mayen and Wersan will additionally compete in the 400m and 800m individual events, respectively.
