The Bates College Bobcats benefit from strong competition and a fast track at Boston University, posting
a plentitude of improved marks.
A great day started with the Bobcat milers. James “Stag” Lepage was first to race. Despite a sluggish
pace over the first 800, the pace ratcheted up and Stag was able to battle back to a 4:15 PR, a Bates
team leading mark. In the next heat Mac Stansel, showed extreme tenacity battling against a pair of
Division I UCONN runners. With a physical final stretch, Mac was able to squeeze between the runnersand take second. As Coach Fresh preaches, with good racing come good times. As usual Coach was right.Mac raced to a 4:12, Bates’ sixth best mark all-time and a new team leading time. Nick Barron also ranwell for the Bobcats, racing to a 4:17.
Inspired by the Bates milers, Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp took the track next in an attempt at theAmerican indoor mile record of 3:49. The building was electric as many packed in to possibly witnesshistory in the making. Paced through 1200 perfectly by his team of rabbits, the noise increased severaldecibels in anticipation. As Rupp leaned at the line, everyone turned to the clock in unison. It was close.When 3:50 flashed on the screen the audience erupted anyways. While he did not break the record itwas still the fastest mile that many of us would witness in our lives.
Rupp would later say that the noise in the building rivaled the noise of the Olympics. In thanks, he
circled the track slapping high-five with the thousands of fans that showed up to watch his mile and
later my 3k. Myles Black-Ingersoll was even lucky enough to get his spikes signed.
Bates’ distance and mid-distance runners are clearly coming into form, as many other PRs were set
in the 800, 3k, and 5k. Mark McCauley with a huge surge over the last half of his race ran 1:54 in the
800. Elmo and G Grimball led Bates to a series of great performances in the 3k, running 8:46 and 8:48respectively. Ford and Timba also ran well in the 3k, running 9:09 and 9:07 respectively. Tully Hannan,racing in the seeded section of the 5k, raced very well moving up through the field in the last mile,setting a great opening mark of 14:36 and placing tenth overall against strong Division I, II, and III
competition. Recent grad Sweetums also broke 15:00 for the first time in preparation for the Boston
Marathon this spring.
Additionally, Pless once again achieved greatness in the throwing circle, heaving the shot 61 feet. A
mark that represents a new PR, new school record, and the second best throw by a Division III athlete
this year.
While Bates competed at BU, other Bobcats represented Bates well at USM. Freshman throwers Nick Margitza and Rudy Pandora as well as Senior A.J. Hill placed first, third, and fourth respectively in the shot put. The throwing trio also took fourth, fifth, and sixth in the weight throw. John Wisener continuesto have a strong season, clearing 14 feet once again in the pole vault (over three and half feet betterthan his nearest competition). Freshman Alex “Bell” Tritell also killed it, PRing by over three seconds inthe 600 meter.
The second leg in Bates’ quest for a State triple crown is set for Saturday the 2 nd. It should be a fight.
For More Information
|
