The Georgetown track and field team headed to opposite coasts this weekend, with one group traveling to Walnut, Calif., for the Mt. SAC Relays and another heading to Princeton, N.J., for the Larry Ellis Invitational. A slew ofHoyas qualified for the Big East championships in a successful weekend for the Blue and Gray.
In California, Georgetown was exposed to the tough competition it has faced all year, as the invitational included some of the best professional and collegiate athletes in the country. Still, Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Patrick Henner was clear that his Hoyas weren’t fazed by the quality of their competitors.
“Athletes have to go out and just focus on what they can do,” Henner said. “You can’t let competition affect what you want to do [in a race].”
Still, sophomore Chelsea Cox, who has had a good outdoor season so far, struggled to adapt to the higher level of racing. She finished in 67th place in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:13.41.
“Chelsea got bumped around in the beginning and let that affect her concentration,” Henner said. “She’s got do a better job in those physical races.”
In the 1500m run, junior Rachel Schneider was able to overcome the fast pace, finishing sixth with a time of 4:16.21. Her teammates, sophomore Madeline Chambers and senior Lauren Borduin, placed 10th and 14th, respectively.
“It was a fairly fast pace, and it was a big [personal record] for Rachel,” Henner said. “It was probably just a hair too fast for Madeline Chambers and Lauren Borduin, but it’ll serve them well in the future.”
In the women’s 5000m run, All-American senior Emily Infeld placed 11th in the invitational division — the toughest one in the competition — with a time of 15:34.26. The performance was a personal record for Infeld. Junior Kirsten Kasper placed seventh in the second-highest division with at time of 16:13.30, her first-ever time of under 17 minutes.
“Infeld was coming off of being sick … and did a great job until two laps to go, when I think it caught up to her,” Henner said. “And [Kasper] executed her game plan very well.”
For Georgetown’s men, junior Andrew Springer and senior Mark Dennin were able to overcome the fast pacing and compete well in the 5000m run. Springer finished in 16th place in the top division with a time of 13:48.74, while Dennin ran a time of 13:58.62, a personal record, to place sixth in the second-highest division.
“I was really happy with both of those races,” Henner said. “The race was way too fast [for Springer], but I was really pleased he regrouped … and finished strong. And Mark executed really well, and he looked great.”
Across the country in New Jersey, freshman Miles Schoedler ran 3:49.58 to take 28th place in the 800m run, while junior Bobby Peavey followed close behind with a time of 3:50.00 to finish in 32nd.
“Peavey was coming off an injury, and he made a big step in the right direction,” Henner said. “I’m really happy with Miles — a [time of] 3:49 for a freshman is great. And I think he can run even faster.”
For the women, senior London Finley broke a school record for the 400m hurdles, placing third overall with a time of 57.80 seconds. It was her first time breaking the 58s mark.
The Hoyas will now prepare for the Penn Relays in Philadelphia this Wednesday through Saturday. The Penn Relays are the seminal event of the season for the relay teams, who have taken the past two weeks off to prepare for the invitational.
