Max Carow sole winner for track and field

The roster of any sports team is generally dotted with the names of a few players who stand out above all others.This season, 39 runners in particular from both the Marist men and women's outdoor track and field rosters stand out due to their underclassmen status.

Given the Red Foxes respective fourth and fifth place finish in the MAAC championships at Rider University for men and women's track and field, they will rely on the heavy amount of youth on their rosters to help them succeed in seasons to come.

During the 2009 MAAC championships, the Red Foxes received stellar efforts from runners on both the men's and women's sides.

The team's only victory of the day came courtesy of junior Max Carow with his leap of 4.17 meters in the pole vault event.

"Condition's were tough on Sunday, but guys were able to put in some big performances allowing us to place fourth overall," Carow said. "It feels good to have won the pole vault after all the effort I've put into it."

Taking third was sophomore Tim Keegan in the 10K, and the 400 relay team.

Made up of freshmen Michael McCloskey and Neil Veits, and sophomores John Kristie and Tom Devaney finished third with a time of 46.36.

"We were pretty happy with it [Third place finish]," Veits said. "We knew that Manhattan and St. Peter's were going to run away with it, so we were happy to stay in third."
The Manhattan Jaspers kept true to their reputation with a dominating performance in the championship. After finishing with 225 points, the Manhattan men earned their 12th consecutive MAAC title.

Leading the way for the Jasper's was Albert Johnson III who won the long jump, triple jump, and 200-meter race. Johnson was named the men's most outstanding performer for field events.

Although only the top three teams present at the tournament broke the 100-point mark, there were still plenty of remarkable performances.

"Manhattan always has a good team," Veits said. "All the other teams that were there with their performances and times, the weather was poor, but they were still impressive."

The Marist women were led by freshmen Addie DiFrancesco and junior Justine Colabraro. Both finished with top-three times in the 5K and the pole vault, respectively.

Marist also received a third place finish from its 400-meter relay team. Jen McNamara, Kimberly Ladouceur, Kerry Owen and Holly Burns all contributed to the 51.111 second finish.

Burns, a junior, finished fourth in the 400-meter and seventh in the 200-meter with a time of 27.20.

As a team, the Marist women's track and field team finished in fifth place with a total of 74 points. Manhattan, Rider, St. Peter's and Iona all placed ahead of the Red Foxes.

The Manhattan women's team won its 10th MAAC championship title in 12 years. Malin Marmbrandt, the championship's most outstanding performer for track events on the women's side, led the way for the Jaspers with victories in the long jump and the triple jump.

Two events still remain on the 2009 schedule for select runners who have qualified. The NYC Qualifying Challenge, which will take place at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island, will be held on May 9. The IC4A championships will be held on May 15 in Princeton, N.J.

Although both of the Red Foxes track and field teams finished towards the bottom of the MAAC in the final standings, the future is very bright for such a young and talented team that has just been exposed to MAAC competition at its highest and most intense level.

"The young team that we have, it was about getting our experience in these championship meets," Viets said. "It's only going to help us in the long run.