The Boston University track teams have different levels of expectation this season. The men’s squad, fueled by a veteran core, is primed for success, while the women’s team is undergoing a youth movement centered around its promising freshmen.
This weekend, both clubs proved successful in their respective approaches, as the experienced men’s team turned out strong performances, and the women assured that the kids are indeed “alright.”
Both teams traveled to Durham, N.C. over the weekend to compete in the Duke Invitational. The events, held at Duke University’s Wallace Wade Stadium, featured a collection of big-name collegiate track athletes, a designation that now includes BU stars David Proctor and talented freshman Ebony Cotterell. Many Terrier athletes placed in the Top-20 of every event, most notably Proctor’s first-place finish in the men’s 1500 meters and rookie Whitney Ford’s pair of Top-5 finishes in the triple jump and long jump events.
Proctor, who beat out 58 other competitors to capture the 1500m, finished in 3:44.28 to give the Terriers their only gold medal of the Invitational. The junior speedster, who set the BU record in January with an indoor mile time of 3:59.14, has been phenomenal throughout the 2007 indoor and outdoor seasons, garnering national recognition.
“His win will continue to keep him ranked high in the nation,” said BU coach Robyne Johnson. “He may not be the top in the nation, but he’ll be near the top of the rankings.”
Proctor may have led the charge in the track portion, but junior Andy Beatman served as the leader in the field events. Beatman posted a sixth-place finish in the javelin, with a throw of 55.18 meters.
Also placing in the Top-20 for the javelin was freshman Chase Carnahan, whose throw measured out at 44.49 meters, good enough for 20th place.
“Andy was set for a big breakout today. He’s been waiting to make a big breakthrough,” Johnson said. “We’re all very glad he’s competing at this level, and we’re hoping to get some big breakthroughs from him soon.”
Finding breakthroughs at the Invitational was easier than finding Easter eggs in the annual Sunday tradition.
Look no further than Cotterell. She continued to excel, placing sixth in the 200m dash with a time of 25.37 seconds.
“Ebony is very talented. She’s been working hard on the concepts at practice,” Johnson said. “Hopefully she will succeed and continue to work hard, be better by the end of the season.”
But Cotterell was outdone by another freshman, Ford, who finished second in the triple jump with a distance of 12.19 meters and a fifth-place mark in the long jump with a leap measuring 5.53 meters.
“It was great for Whitney, as a freshman, to do that well,” Johnson said. “She’s still working on grasping the concepts of jumping, so it was a great victory for her.”
Stressing Ford’s overall performance, Johnson also noted that Ford excelled in her leg of the 4 X 1 relay.
“She was very good,” Johnson said. “We’re very happy with her.”