(results) / (pictures)
Widener's men's track and field team repeated as Middle Atlantic Conference Indoor champions and the women closed seventh in Bethlehem, PA.
It is the Pride's 15th indoor title and its first successful defense since the squad won six straight from 1997-2002. The outdoor team, also reigning champions, have won 14 crowns.
Freshman Tyler Schmalhofer (Elizabethtown, PA) was named the Men's Rookie of the Meet, winning the 400-meter dash in 51.27 seconds and closing fourth in the 200-meter dash in 23.34 seconds. He also was part of the 4x400-meter relay squad that ended third in 3:33.94 and included freshman William Betts (Wayne, PA), senior Mark Benedetto (Vineland, NJ) and junior Sean McCarthy (Ellicott City, MD).
Mick Coleman (Southampton, PA) put another exclamation point on his phenomenal freshman year, taking the pole vault by covering 4.25 meters.
The men's 4x200-meter relay team repeated as champions in 1:32.66. Senior Robert Innocent (Fairfax, VA) and McCarthy once again were on the squad, this time joined by senior Kevin Franklin (Baltimore, MD) and junior Emmanuel Rupert (Baltimore, MD).
Junior Dennis Conn (Morton, PA) was second in the 800-meter run in 1:56.52 and senior Brad Moran (Neshanic Station, NJ) was second in the shot put 14.11 meters in his first meet of the season following an injury. The men's 4x800-meter relay team was second in 8:05.72 and included Conn, junior Michael Garrity (Briarcliffe, PA), Michael Quinn (Conshohocken, PA) and fellow freshman John Ruggiero (Warrington, PA).
Freshman Dennis Nguyen (Springfield, PA) closed second in the pole vault at 4.10 meters, Innocent was third in the 200-meter dash in 23.33 seconds, sophomore Nicholas Dolhancryk (East Lansdowne, PA) closed third in the long jump by covering 6.52 meters and senior Jacob Munick (Narberth, PA) was third in the weight throw at a school-record 16.65 meters.
Widener won a hotly contested race against DeSales, 112-108.
Vince Touey, in his 24th year with the program, was named Coach of the Year. It is his 11th championship with the men's indoor team and 18th combined. That also includes five with the men's outdoor team, one with the women's indoor squad and one with the men's cross country unit.
Junior Brooke McDonald (Drexel Hill, PA) improved on second place from last year by taking the pole vault at 3.25 meters. Senior Valisha Andrus (Pemberton, NJ) ended third in the 200-meter dash in 26.93 seconds
The women ended closed seventh with 32 points. Messiah won the title with 103.5 points.
