The Big Green men's and women's track and field team kicked off their indoor season this weekend at the 28th annual Dartmouth Relays.
Although the Relays have no team scoring, several individual members of the Big Green team stood out. Greg Johnston '99 set the school record in the 55 meter hurdles -- running 7.41 seconds and just missing the NCAA provisional standards, said Men's Track and Field co-Captain Lane Burks '97.
Johnston also scored second place in the pentathlon while co-captain Alex Ghanotakis '97 won the weight throw.
Women's track and field co-captain Pilar Rodriguez '97 had an impressive showing for the triple jump placing first and making above 37 feet, Burks said.
The freshmen members showed promise at the relays as well with several strong finishes and the setting of some personal records.
Co-captain Jim Tuxbury '97 said Geoff Nickerson '00 ran particularly well for his first meet by beating his high school personal record for the 3000-meter race.
Tom Kanter '00 ran a strong 400, co-Captain Eric Szegda said, while Sarah Kenney '00 placed fourth in the hurdles and Ray Long '00 jumped over 21 feet for the sixth place in the long jump.
Szegda said the team had a strong showing despite only being back in practice for a week.
Perhaps as inspiration for the collegiate and high school competitors, on the first day of the Dartmouth Relays -- the Master's Division which includes athletes 30 years and older -- two indoor world records were set.
Jutta Riegel, from Lennoxville, Quebec, set a pole vault mark in the women's 55 to 59 age group, according to a Sports Information press release. She cleared 8-0 and broke her own record of 7-6 1/2 set last year.
Also, Joan Stratton, from Yuma, Arizona, threw the shot put 35-0 1/2 in the 45-49 age group breaking the record of 32-11 3/4 set by Vanessa Hillard in 1991.
Szegda said he was impressed by the strong athletes from Canada who came to the Relays over the weekend.
"They brought a bunch of athletes in and kicked ass," he said.
The men's track team got a chance to be inspired by their coach during the Master's 1500 meter race.
Barry Harwick, the men's track and field coach, placed first in the 1500 meter race with a time of 4:09.26 in the 40 to 44 age group.
Harwick's race was "impressive and inspirational," Tuxbury said.
Tuxbury said Harwick "basically blew open the field with a good kick on the last lap and put some distance on the field."
Field Events Head Coach Carl Wallin also performed well, placing first in the shot put.
This Friday the track and field team competes in the Challenge Cup finals at Boston University.
"This will be our first team scoring meet," Tuxbury said. "We should get a feel for competing as a whole team. I think we should do well but I haven't heard any results" for the other teams.
