By Jonathan Moniz, Staff Writer
The past week has been a steady stream of preparation for the new season on the track and field for the Corsairs, with qualifiers at Boston University and Tufts University, amongst others.
In addition to the qualifier at Boston University, there was another one at Springfield, Mass. in which the Corsairs also attended and succeeded.
The qualifiers run based on a different scoring system than typical track and field matches, focusing more on non-scored performance and instead focus on the ability of the teams who compete at these matches to improve.
While there is still a ranking system implemented to show whose performance has outdone others, it is expected that nobody will win and the focus is on improvement within the ranks, not necessarily of beating the others.
The event at Springfield was marked by several record breaks from UMass Dartmouth history, among them junior Raybryana Dasher, who bested and ranked for the 400-meter dash. She led a first and second finish with freshman Caitlyn Demers.
For the 600-meter dash and the 600-meter run, was taken by Samir Williams and George Papoulis, leading at first for both of the races. Papoulis’ ultimate time of one minute and twenty-two seconds was the second fastest in Corsair history.
Reme DiGiovanni, a senior, ran the three-thousand meter run and placed second, finishing with a time of ten minutes and fifty-six seconds.
Alex Macmillan followed her up as he placed third out of thirty-four competitors in the two-hundred meter dash.
On the field and in the throwing competitions, junior Jared Louf-Woods took second place again in the throwing competitions, again continuing his high performance from last season. He ranks twenty-second nationally amongst the throwing field.
Senior Hunter Carden took second place with jumps, followed by freshman Danielle Devine who took third in the long jump.
At Boston University and the Tufts invitational match, five Corsairs took notable accomplishments home for their respective teams and fields of competition. Dasher returned to break a thirty year record for the four-hundred meter dash.
She had beat out several higher Division runners from one and two respectively, placing one-hundred-and-third amongst the nation.
George Papoulis qualified for the Open New Englands by placing twenty-six for the eight-hundred meter run, a continuation of his strong opening season at UMass Dartmouth.
His time was one minute and fifty-three seconds, the second-fastest time in school history.
Joined by Gorham for a returning competition, who took the time of one-minute and fifty-seven seconds and qualified for New England Division III championships.
DiGiovanni returned to beat her personal time for the women’s race, finishing at five minutes and fifteen seconds.
Jason Karakaedos, a sophomore, who placed with a time of four minutes and twenty-four seconds, placing amongst the top racers in sixth place.
Kirsten Harden competed alongside DiGiovanni in the mile and also placed for a new best personal time.
Louf-Woods returned to dominate the throwing competition at Tufts, rising to head the New England Alliance standings.
The series of meets have been preparations for the upcoming New England Alliance champions, and only one more meet remains before the championships are set to take place in the upcoming weeks.