FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BATES TRACK SHINES AT OPEN NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
Anthony, Easter win titles; Zwick, Hurley improve NCAA positions

LEWISTON, Maine —Several Bates College track and field athletes had outstanding performances as the Bobcats competed in the 2001 Open New England championships this weekend. At meets held May 11-12 that boasted the top runners from NCAA Division I, II and III institutions, coach Al Fereshetian's men's team tied for 15th out of 32 teams that scored points at the University of Connecticut, while coach Carolyn Court's women tied for 19th out of 33 teams that scored at Williams College.

The women were led by sophomore standout Abigail Anthony of Jamestown, R.I. Anthony became the first woman in Bates history to win an event at the Open New England championships, capturing the 10,000-meter run with a time of 37:17.22. Anthony now boasts the three fastest times in Bates history in the 10,000. Currently ranked fourth in the nation in the event, Anthony will try to earn her second career All-America honor at the NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships at Milliken University in Decatur, Ill., on May 24-26. Bates sophomore Kelley Puglisi of Scotia, N.Y., also had a notable performance, finishing second in her heat of the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:49.35.

For the men, sophomore Justin Easter of Jay, Maine, also claimed an Open New England title, winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:21.65. Easter is ranked fourth in the nation headed into the NCAA championships. Two other All-Open New England performances potentially propelled a pair of Bobcats to their first NCAA championships. Senior Erik Zwick of Virginia Beach, Va., placed fifth in the 400-meter dash. His time of 48.08 in the preliminaries was an NCAA provisional qualifier, just two one-hudredths of a second shy of the automatic standard. Zwick is ranked 15th with one week before the final meet of the season, with the top 15 all qualifying for nationals.Junior thrower Greg Hurley of Arlington, Mass., placed fifth in the hammer throw with a lifetime-best heave of 177-9. He topped his previous career-best by three inches, moving him into 12th place on the NCAA qualifying list.

Complete results from the women's Open New England Championships

Complete results from the men's Open New England Championships

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