Track & Field Tabbed for Historic Finishes in NE-10 Championship Coaches' Poll
Links: NE-10 Release | Live Results
MANSFIELD, Mass. – As they begin their outdoor postseason meets looking to cap off the best year the program has seen since its inception, the Merrimack College men's and women's track & field teams have been tabbed by the league's coaches for what would be historic top-five finishes at the Northeast-10 Conference Outdoor Championships this weekend at American International.
With the release of the 2016 NE-10 Outdoor Track & Field Coaches' Poll coming on Thursday morning, the Warriors would see the men predicted for as fifth-place finish at the conference championships, while the women were slotted to finish third. Both of these finishes would be the best in the history of the program, as the men's best finish was seventh while the women's was fifth, with both of those finishes coming in the spring of 2014.
On the men's side, American International is predicted to take home the conference championship on their own turf, garnering 96 points and six of 11 first-place votes. Reigning NE-10 outdoor champ Southern Connecticut finished close behind with 94 points and four of 11 first-place votes, with Franklin Pierce ranking third with 80 points and the final first-place vote. Stonehill ranked fourth with 71 points while the Warriors rounded out the top-five with 57 points. New Haven is slotted close behind in sixth (52), followed by Adelphi (48) and Bentley (40) in spots 7-8. Assumption (29), Saint Rose (26) and Le Moyne (12) close out the 11 male-team field.
For the women, 2016 NE-10 Indoor Champion Stonehill is selected to also take the outdoor crown with 116 points and eight of 12 first-place votes. Reigning outdoor champions Southern Connecticut ranks right behind in second with 112 points and the remaining four first-place votes. The Warriors grab the three spot with 100 points in the poll, followed by two teams tied for fourth-place in American International and New Haven (79). Adelphi (65) and Assumption (64) sit one point apart in spots 6-7, with Franklin Pierce (56), Bentley (45) and Saint Rose (37) rounding out the top-10. Southern New Hampshire (23) and Le Moyne (16) take the last two spots amongst the 12 female squads.
The men will look for some top peformances from multiple athletes, including junior standout John Braga (North Reading, Mass.), who enters the weekend ranking second in conference in both the long jump and high jump, and also owns the sixth-best time in the 400m hurdles. The men will also turn to a group of freshman who come into the championship with some of the top performances in the NE-10 this season. Jacob Robinson (Riverhead, N.Y.) will look to shine on the track as he ranks third in the 200m dash (22.08) and sixth in the 400m dash (50.28) in the conference. Michael Cuesta (South Portland, Maine) holds the fourth best triple jump in the NE-10 this season, while Juwan Hall (Waterbury, Conn.) ranks fifth in the 100m dash (11.04).
The women, highlighted by junior captain and indoor National Champion Carly Muscaro(Ashland, Mass.) will look to vie for the first NE-10 team championship in the history of the program. Mscaro has dominated the track amongst conference competition this outdoor season as she hold the best times in the NE-10 in the 100m (11.69), 200m (23.69) and 400m (52.46) dashes, while she has also the led the 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay teams to the first and second-best times in the NE-10, reepectively.
Junior Sarah Barnett (Bridgewater, Mass.) enters the weekend ranking in the top-four in the NE-10 in three different events, including second in the long jump (5.52m). Fellow junior Olivia Downey (Melrose, Mass.) is an equal threat, as she ranks in the top-seven in three events, including fourth in the high jump (1.60m) and third in the 400m hurdles (1:03.06). SophomoreMaddie Mercado (Palenville, N.Y.) will also look to help the Warriors on the distance side, as she ranks fourth in the NE-10 in the 10,000m (39:52.76).
2016 Northeast-10 Outdoor Track & Field Coaches' Poll
Men's
1. American International - 96 (6)
2. Southern Connecticut - 94 (4)
3. Franklin Pierce - 80 (1)
4. Stonehill - 71
5. Merrimack - 57
6. New Haven - 52
7. Adelphi - 48
8. Bentley - 40
9. Assumption - 29
10. Saint Rose - 26
11. Le Moyne - 12
Women's
1. Stonehill - 116 (8)
2. Southern Connecticut - 112 (4)
3. Merrimack - 100
t-4. American International - 79
t-4. New Haven - 79
6. Adelphi - 65
7. Assumption 64
8. Franklin Pierce - 56
9. Bentley - 45
10. Saint Rose - 37
11. Southern New Hampshire - 23
12. Le Moyne – 16
The Warriors begin competition at the 2016 NE-10 Outdoor Championships at American International on Friday morning, with the first events coming in the decathlon beginning at 10:00 a.m.
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