Track teams compete at Rider Invitational

By Anthony Medoro
Collegian Staff
April 16, 2008

The Explorer track and field team looked impressive this weekend at the Rider Invitational, capturing titles in several different events. Senior James Tchabo set the pace for the Blue and Gold, finishing first in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.01 and taking second in the 100 meter dash in 11.01. Tchabo also helped the men’s 4x100 meter relay team secure first place, as they finished in 41.54. His teammates included sophomore James Thomas, senior Mike George and junior Steve Rendall.

“Tchabo’s stepped up a lot and become pretty competitive,” head coach Charles Torpey said. “He has great range so he can compete in a lot of events.”

Rendall also sprinted to his personal best in the 400 meter hurdles to take first in 54.22. Sophomore Matt Mitchell was victorious in the 5000 meter race clocking in at 15.48. The men’s 4x400 team was also able to win their event with a 3:20 finish in the relay race. The team was made up of junior Jared Davis, senior Billy Rhea, junior Ashton Johnson and sophomore Rollin Deas.

Other action on the day included senior Billy Rhea’s second place finish in the 400 meter dash in 48.22. Sophomore Orestes Medina also recorded a second-place performance in the long jump when he leaped 6.64 meters. Sophomore Brian Winn finished sixth in javelin by tossing it 53.90 meters.

“It was a smaller meet, so it gave us a chance to focus more on our tactics, which was good for us,” Torpey said.

Junior Meaghan Hobson was the champion in the 800 meter run, hustling to a 2:17.37 finish for the Explorer ladies. On her heels was freshman teammate Emily Paffett, who took second in the race with a time of 2:18.87. Sophomore Ruth Brown was able to grab second in the 100 meter dash and third in the 200 meter dash with times of 12.54 and 25.90, respectively. In the 1500 meter run, graduate student Nicole O’Dea finished second in 4:56.97.

“I thought Ruth Brown had a really good meet, and it was good to get first and second in the 800,” Torpey said.

The women’s relay squads were also successful Saturday in Lawrenceville, N.J., where they snagged a couple of second place finishes. Brown, Hobson, junior Kim McIntosh and sophomore Jalessa Brown took second in the 4x100 race with a time of 48.80. In the 4x400 event senior Jenna Kipp, Hobson, Paffett, and sophomore Courtney McKnight placed second in 3:56.77. Senior Giovanna Finocchio finished fourth in the javelin with a throw of 30.51 meters.

La Salle also sent two athletes to compete at the West Chester University Collegiate Invitational over the weekend. Graduate student Adam Woodford was able to take second in the men’s decathlon with a score of 5,934, and junior Lisette Delgado placed fifth in the women’s heptathlon, scoring 2,981 points.

This weekend the Explorers will send their star All-American runner Sean Quigley to the Mount Sac Invitational in Walnut, Calif. The rest of the team will compete at the Widener Invitational and the Larry Ellis Invitational.

medoroa1@lasalle.edu