RIT Chases Fourth Straight Empire 8 Men's Indoor Track and Field Title
February 6, 2008
ROCHESTER, NY – Three-time defending champion Rochester Institute of Technology will host the Empire 8 Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championship on Sunday. The meet will be the first stand-alone track championship in conference history and will also feature the first championship appearance by Stevens Institute of Technology.
Junior Michael Harbarger of the Tigers set an Empire 8 championship record in the mile run in a time of 4:18.95 in last year’s championship. Seniors Jimmy Sorel (55-meter hurdles) and Andrew Varble (1,000 meters) also earned individual wins a year ago, while Varble and Hardbarger also ran on two winning relays.
Ithaca College sophomore Dennis Akey earned Rookie of the Meet honors after winning the high jump and triple jump. Sophomore Jonathan Lin (55-meter dash), junior Maurice Heering (200-meter dash), and senior James Aucoin (long jump) captured titles last season for the Bombers. Sophomore Joel Trager was named the first Athlete of the Week this season.
Two-time Athlete of the Week Nick Stenuf and this week’s honoree Brandon Wheeler lead Nazareth College. Stenuf broke his own Empire 8 championship record in the 800-meter run in 1:54.91 in last year’s championship. Wheeler won the 400-meter and captured the pentathlon to share Track Athlete of the Meet honors in 2007.
Junior Ryan Squillacioti of Alfred University broke his own conference championship record in the shot put to share Track Athlete of the Meet honors in last year’s championship. Sophomore Lee Consolo captured the 500-meter dash last year.
Senior Michael Hoffman of Stevens earned Athlete of the Week honors earlier this season and recently broke his brother John’s school record in the 500-meter run.
The schedule and results will be posted on the RIT web site: http://www.ritathletics.com/News/mtrk/2008/2/5/2008e8indoortrackandfieldchampionships.asp?path=mtrk