Escaping Saturday’s unexpected spring snowfall, the Maroon Track and Field teams traveled to Atlanta this past weekend to compete in the two-day University Athletic Association (UAA) Outdoor Championships. Unlike the rest of campus, the teams encountered temperatures that reached as high as 81°F, presenting the Maroons with one of their warmest competition environments this season. However, the heat did not seem to affect the teams’ performances, as both the men and women enjoyed top-five finishes. A number of strong individual performances for both squads led the women to take second overall, while the men captured fourth place.
Propelled by several top-three finishes, the women put forth a solid effort in their quest for the UAA title. In short distance events, third-year Mary Martin enjoyed two third-place finishes in both the 100– and 200–meter races. Meanwhile, fourth-year Nicole VacaGuzman made it two competitions in a row that she has come out on top in the 800–meter, winning the event again this weekend. However, the women truly dominated in long-distance events, with first-year distance runner Henry Myers remarking, “I thought the best performance of the weekend came from the women’s long-distance runners, who scored a total of 33 points in the [5,000–meter] and [10,000–meter].” Third-years Claire Brockway and Maggie Boudreau took third and fourth respectively in both events, while second-year Abigail Shoemaker enjoyed a second-place finish in the 10,000–meter. The women also found success in both relays and field events with third-year Laura Darcey winning the high jump and taking second in the long jump, bested only by first-year teammate Isabel Maletich who won the event.
As for the men, a number of excellent individual performances helped the team place in the top five. First-year Cameron Edgington took fourth in the 400–meter hurdles, while also adding to the team total with his effort in the 110–meter hurdles. Meanwhile, third-year Tyson Miller collected two top-five finishes in the 100– and 200–meters. In distance events, Henry Myers built off his previous success at the Wheaton Don Church Twilight Meet with a third-place finish in the 5,000–meter. Finally, in field events, third-year Alex Scott may have had the most influential performance of the weekend as he took home three top-three finishes, singlehandedly scoring 24 points with his third-place finish in discus, second-place finish in shot put, and first-place victory in the hammer throw.
While both the men and women hoped to return to Hyde Park with UAA titles, both teams still competed valiantly, prevailing in several events. With nearly a month left in the outdoor season and the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships on the horizon, both the men and women will look to improve upon this past weekend’s successes as the season continues. Reflecting on the UAA Championships and looking forward to the rest of the season, Henry Myers stated that he felt the heat in Atlanta “offered a good mental challenge for the distance team as we prepare to run fast and qualify for Nationals in the next couple weeks.” With the weather continuing to warm up, the Maroons will get their next chance to compete on Friday, May 3, when the team travels to Loras College for the Dr. Tucker Open.
