Track And Field Has High Hopes For IC4As Following BU Last Chance

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Tyler Roaix

Four Blue Devils qualified for the upcoming IC4A/ECAC Championships on Sunday.

Patrick Gustavson, Sports Editor

Following a performance that saw them earn 15 medals at the Northeast Conference Championship, both the Central Connecticut men’s and women’s track and field team were back in action on Sunday at the BU Last Chance Meet at Boston University.

The meet acted as the “last chance” for athletes to qualify for the upcoming NCAA Championship meet, though head coach Eric Blake stated last week that the goal was for his team to prepare for the IC4A/ECAC Championships, a meet the step below the NCAAs.

Sprints coach Nicole Dumpson echoed that goal and said the team achieved it on Sunday.

For the second week in a row, sophomore Miles Fye-Moore broke his previous best time in the 200-meter dash, this time with a time 22.01. The performance was also good enough to qualify for the IC4A meet.

Also qualifying was the 4×400 meter relay team which consisted of Richard Grudzwick, Akiel Smith, Jack St. Clair and Jason Walton.  Their time of  3:19.20 was good enough for a 10th place finish, but more importantly, marks the first time the Blue Devils have qualified in this event since 2015.

Additionally, junior Andrew Findley, who Blake commended for a strong first season with the Blue Devils following the NEC meet, took a second off his previous best in the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:05.51, which notched him a fourth-place finish.

Dumpson added that Findley ran “exceptionally well.”

Grudzwick continued his strong season by finishing the 800-meter run with a 13th place finish thanks to a time of 1:52.35.

Darius Wise competed in the 60-meter dash, coming in seventh place for the event.

It was also a busy day for Saint Clair, who leaped 6.57 meters in the long jump, earning a sixth-place finish.

Junior Quincy Sanchez and freshman Cam Whalen represented CCSU in the 60-meter hurdles, where Sanchez finished ninth while Whalen was 13th.

Also competing on the day was junior Julio Arredondo, who finished the one-mile run 4:24.37.

As for the Lady Blue Devils, they sent just three athletes to the Last Chance meet.

Junior Megan Brawner, who medaled twice at the NEC meet, competed in the 800-meter run. Her time of 2:14.20 was good enough for a 16th place finish.

The other two to compete were senior McKenna Killian and junior Kadizha Benjamin, both in the women’s high jump. Killian finished second on the event with a jump of 1.62 meters. Benjamin was not far off, as her jump of 1.52 meters landed her in sixth-place for the event.

In addition, Killian competed in the long jump where she had a mark of 5.58 meters, good enough for fifth-place. Dumpson called the performance a “great” one.

The Blue Devils will take of the IC4A/ECAC Championships on Saturday and Sunday, returning to Boston University.

Dumpson has high hopes for the Blue Devils at the meet, who are sending triple the number of athletes they did last season.

“This team is mentally tough and responds well to pressure,” Dumpson said. “Everyone is in great shape and I expect them to have good performances and come back with some PRs and possibly a new school record or two.”