Late last week, America East track and field coaches chose preseason favorites for the upcoming spring season, and BU was tabbed as first. This weekend, the Boston University women’s team backed up its lofty billing despite less-than-ideal running conditions at the Tufts Snowflake Invitational in Medford.
“It was extremely cold and very windy, so it wasn’t the ideal conditions for running track and trying to be fast,” said BU coach Robyne Johnson. “But by the same token, everyone else in the meet had to deal with it.”
Five first-place finishes buoyed the women, who racked up 106 points to place fourth out of 13 teams. The men’s team, picked fifth in the preseason poll, ran to a fifth-place finish out of 14 teams.
Johnson felt BU’s fourth and fifth place finishes were a poor reflection of each squad’s ability.
“We didn’t do as well as I would have liked, but it is a start,” Johnson said. “We’re going to a warmer climate next weekend in Florida, so we should get a better indication of where we are.”
The women were backed by first-place finishes from junior Rebecca Marshburn, sophomores Whitney Ford and Casey Jordan and freshman Alexandra Jackson, impressive feats considering the weather.
“I think they did a good job in the conditions, especially in those events that were pretty much all spring events,” Johnson said. “They dealt with the adversities of the weather and the wind.”
Marshburn’s finish in 15.45 seconds earned her a win in the 100meter hurdles, followed by senior Megan LaBella (14th in 18.53).
Ford led the field in the 100m, taking first with a 12.59 finish. Junior Edwina Clark (13.49) and senior Alyssa Fanucci (13.54) followed Ford, placing fourth and sixth, respectively.
Jordan recorded a time of 1:05.09 to finish first in the 400m hurdles. Marshburn followed closely behind, earning fourth-place honors with a time of 1:10.36. Jackson won the 200m in 26.78, while LaBella (30.04) placed 16th.
BU came close to a sixth win in the long jump, but fell slightly short of the mark. Clark took second with a 5.20m jump, closely behind Dartmouth College’s Cassandre Tanner (5.25m), while Fanucci’s 4.84m distance earned her fifth place. Sophomore Fiona Romeri took third in the pole vault.
The men’s fifth-place finish was supported by the efforts of junior Kodjo Wilder, who won the long jump with a distance of 6.50m.
Sophomore Logan Moore claimed a second-place finish in the pole vault, while sophomore Jan Bicanic (45.81m) and freshman Dan Withrow (40.81m) both placed in the Top-10 in the hammer throw.
The men grabbed two more Top-10 finishes in the 400m. Junior Adam Chruey’s time of 52.59 earned him a fourth-place finish, while sophomore Jason English (53.86) placed 10th.
Both Terrier teams can look ahead to warmer weather and higher rankings. The preseason picks are no birthright, and the Terriers know they must work hard to achieve the goals set out for them.
If the indoor season was any indication of these teams’ capabilities, the spring season should be just as successful.
“We’ve done a good job, coming off an indoor title in which [the women] have won the past three years,” Johnson said. “We’re just trying to carry that momentum into the outdoor season, do better on the men’s side and try to finish strong again on the women’s side.”
