The Big Green's track and field teams smashed through their opposition this weekend with the men's team snagging the Challenge Team Cup in Boston while at home the women's team won the consolation division of the New England Challenge Cup.
Dartmouth men's track team defeated seven other schools on Friday on their way to victory. They earned 137 points to edge out the University of Maine at 101 points. The University of New Hampshire came out third with a score of 71.
Team co-captain Alex Ghanotakis '97 said he was pleased with the team's performance but more worried about next weeks events -- again at Boston because Dartmouth's men will be facing off against better opponents.
"Next week they'll be some good competition," he said. "It will be sort of like a mini-heps and it'll give the team a good indication of where we're at. There will be a lot of good competition both on the track and throwing circles and jumping pit."
Ghanotakis won the weight toss throwing 63 1/4 which was the best throw of his career and qualified him for the IC4A Championship. Also, this was a NCAA provisional qualifier.
Co-captain Jim Tuxbury '97 qualified for the IC4A by placing first in the 1000 meter with a time of 2:25.12.
Chris Langan '97, Don Conrad '99, Reynaldo Hubbard '99 and Greg Johnston '99 also qualified for the IC4A.
After the men's team paved their way to the IC4A, the women's team defeated five other schools at Leverone Field House on Saturday.
The Big Green led with a score of 191 2/3 points. Yale was second with a score of 149 while the University of New Hampshire won third again with a 133 1/3 score.
Co-captain Pilar Rodriguez '97 won three events -- the 55 meter dash by nine-tenths of a second with a clocking of 7.46, the triple jump with a 36-1 1/4 leap and the long jump with 17-5 1/4.
Rodriguez said she was impressed with how the team performed.
"This was our first meet and the first time we really competed together ... I think they did excellent," she said.
All-American cross country runner Jenna Rogers '98 led a 1-2-3 sweep of the 3000 meter run with a score of 9:51.30. Deirdre Milligan '98 took second with 10:06.24 while Beth Crenshaw '99 came in third at 10:09.76. Also, Alisa Antkowiak '99 won the 20 pound weight throw.
In other victories, Sarah Kenney '00 took the 55-meter hurdles.
