TRACK AND FIELD

Track and Field Tears Up Terrier Classic

 

1/29/06 -- Long Island University stormed through the 2006 Indoor Terrier Classic track meet this past weekend. Overall twenty-four new personal bests were established, four East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) and four IC4A qualifying marks were also met at the meet in Boston, Mass.

Senior Mike Hillian (Voorhees, N.J.) paced the men’s squad. While he established a personal-best and IC4A qualifying mark with a second place in the 400-meters (48.07), his quest for a NCAA qualifying mark of 47.25 in the event fell just short. Hillian also placed fourth in the 200 meters with a time of 21.78, a personal-best and tops in the Northeast Conference this year.

Senior Jabari Bush (Baltimore, Md.) and freshman Shavar Clarke (Kingston, Jamaica) established personal-bests in the 400-meters (49.44) and 55-meters (6.47).With their times, the athletes also qualified for the IC4A championships that will be held at Boston University on March 4 and 5.

The women’s team posted equally impressive numbers. The Blackbirds captured a win in the 1600- meter relay. The team, which posted an NEC-leading and ECAC qualifying mark of 3:49.65, consisted of junior Janel McFarlane (Kensington, Md.), sophomore Aisha Thomas (Jefferson City, Mo.), senior Jaimie Smith (Burtonsville, Md.), and junior Shaneqwa Warren (Roselle, N.J.)

Thomas established a new personal-best of 7.14 in the preliminaries on the 55-meters. She placed third in the finals with a time of 7.19. Thomas also finished fifth in the 200-meters with a running a time of 24.67, both mark were ECAC qualifying marks.

Smith was the final ECAC qualifier topping her best time in the 500-meters with a sixth-place finish (1:15.38). The ECAC Championships will be held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston on March 4 & 5.

Next up for the Blackbirds will be the New Balance Collegiate Invitational/Millrose Games on February 3 and 4th and the Metropolitan Championships on February 5. Both meets will be held at the New York Armory. Competition begins Friday morning at 11:00 a.m.