Colonial Relays: Live Results
Stanford Invitational: Live Results
Colonial Relays: Live Stream
Stanford Invitational: Live Stream
FAIRFAX, Va. – Heading into just its third weekend of the outdoor season, the George Mason men's and women's track and field teams hope to gain some valuable experience at one of the larger meets in the country.
Many of the Patriots will head down the road to Williamsburg, Va., for the Colonial Relays at William & Mary, which is believed to be the largest scored meet in the country outside of the NCAA Championships and the IC4A/ECAC Championships. The Patriots will also have representation at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.
Head coach Andrew Gerard hopes the setup and magnitude of the event (63 schools – 43 Division I) helps his student-athletes prepare for the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships, the IC4A Championships and the NCAA East Preliminary Championships.
“It's huge,” Gerard said. “It is probably one of the largest meets on the East Coast. I can't think of too many that physically accommodate that number of athletes. It's a very, very sizable meet and the fields are very good. So I think we should be in great shape to get them what they need to.”
The Patriots will send distance runners, throwers, pole vaulters and high jumpers to the Colonial Relays. The meet actually begins Thursday night as Emily Muniz (hammer throw) and Ciara Donohue (3,000 meters) will compete for the Patriots. Sprinters, hurdlers and long and triple jumpers from both the men's and women's teams will compete at the Stanford Invitational, which begins Friday.
At the Colonial Relays, the Patriots are hoping to narrow in on qualifying marks for the NCAA East Preliminary and IC4A/ECAC Championships. Though there is still a month and four meets before the A-10 Championships, which will be hosted by Mason on May 7-8, Gerard said the strong competition should drive the Patriots toward lower times and higher marks.
“We don't have to get them (this weekend) but with the great competition and, knock on wood, good weather,” Gerard said, “some of the kids I think are ready to get some good marks and/or get real close so that it serves as a springboard for the next couple weekends.”
As the calendar flips to April, the Patriots feel happy with the momentum they've generated so far. They're coming off a strong split weekend at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C., and the Fred Hardy Invitational in Richmond, Va.
A-10 Men's Performer of the Week Steven Flynn setting the school record in the 5,000-meter run (13:55.26) and all but assuring a qualifying spot in the NCAA East Preliminary. The 4x100-meter relay team of Ayo Raymond, Junias Agyei, David Stone and Bernard Freeman posted the seventh-fastest time in program history with a time of 40.34 in taking second in the race. Jennifer Nakamura (11:09.65) and Amber Hawkins (11:11.05) recorded the second and third-fastest times in program history in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
“We're comfortable with where we are now,” Gerard said. “We've had some very nice performances that set us up, to take the pressure off for straining for performances later (in the season). But we have a lot more to get done. This is only the third week of outdoor track. We have a lot more to accomplish, and some of that takes time. I don't feel like we are behind at all. We're definitely on track, where we want to be.”
