Despite nagging injuries and the general consensus among players and coaches that neither team lived up to its lofty capabilities, the Boston University men’s and women’s track and field squads claimed 21 top-10 finishes in this weekend’s Terrier Invitational at the Track and Tennis Center.
Sophomore Joe Bicanic placed first in the shot put and senior David Proctor, who is red-shirting the indoor season and technically “running unattached to BU” according to coach Robyne Johnson, finished second in the mile on the men’s side, missing the 4-minute mark by 1.57 seconds.
Also placing well were freshman Joel Senick and senior Jake Laroe, who finished sixth in the 400 and 1,000 meter races, respectively. Senick and senior Chadd Steinhauser, who finished ninth in the 500-meter race, qualified for the IC4A Championship with their times on Saturday.
On the women’s side, sophomore Whitney Ford returned from a hamstring injury and finished fourth in the 55-meter dash. In the sand pit, seniors Tahari James (2nd), Edwina Clark (7th) and Alyssa Fanucci (9th) proved to be a formidable trio in the long jump. Friday marked James’ return to competition after she was sidelined during the winter season due to injuries.
Despite BU’s several outstanding performances, senior Greg Daggett, who finished 13th in the long jump and 18th in the 55-meter hurdles, said the Terriers have plenty of room for improvement.
“We have remarkable talent and that has become evident, but it hasn’t all come completely together yet,” Daggett said.
Pesky injuries have prevented the Terriers from reaching their full potential this season, despite their tremendous talent.
“Little nagging injuries keep cropping up,” Johnson said. “We’re hoping that our health irons out soon.”
While track and field differs from other sports in that a team’s regular season record doesn’t determine its postseason chances, meets such as the Terrier Invitational remain significant.
“We have a limited number of opportunities to qualify for the next level meets like the ECAC, IC4A and NCAA nationals,” Daggett said. “So each meet that we don’t perform well is a wasted opportunity.”
Fanucci, who finished 22nd in the 55-meter dash along with her competition 9th-best leap in the long jump, echoed Daggett’s sentiments about the team not performing up to its potential — partially due to poor health.
While the team’s performance this season has been less than ideal, Daggett said the Terriers remain in high spirits heading into the final stretch of the season, with the conference championships less than a month away.
Fanucci stressed the importance of tightening the team’s focus before the America East Championship at the TTC on Feb. 23.
“I think the team is both excited and nervous because we need to win the title, but it’s going to take a lot of sacrifice from those who are injured,” Fanucci said. “We really need to get focused and perform better than we have been.”
The Terriers have two more opportunities to right themselves before Feb. 23 beginning this Saturday at the Boston City Invitational in Allston. BU returns to Ashford St. on Feb. 9 for the Valentine Invitational.
Johnson highlighted the coming meet as a great opportunity for her team to show its competitive desire.
“The talent is there,” Johnson said. “It’s time to elevate their game and show me how they compete.”