Under one broad umbrella, two teams are striving to make themselves an intimidating force within the Big East. The men’s and women’s track teams may spring into the outdoor season as two parts of a team, but the similarities end there.
The women’s team relies heavily on their distance runners. Boasting of Shannon Smith, the women’s ECAC champion in the 3000 meters, the endurance squad is expected to score crucial points this season. Smith is joined by freshman twin sensations Cate and Maggie Guiney, possibly the most famous duo to come out of Red Bank, NJ since Jay and Silent Bob. The Guineys have been hyped from their arrival on the Heights, but the pair has lived up to all expectations.
After a scintillating cross-country season, the Guiney pair brought a Sister, Sister act better than any episode the WB could script. In late February, Cate, the more experienced of the two, became the New England Champion in the 400M and the 3000M. Maggie, a field hockey convert, waited until her senior year to fully exploit the family genes by running cross country, but she is rapidly catching up.
Another new face to the Eagle squad is Jenifer Vendetti, an all-around athlete who is tearing up races in the middle distance. Vendetti cracked into the top five finishes in school history in the 800M, running a 2:11.43.
While the women’s team is young and growing, the men’s team is the complete opposite. Assistant Coach Walter Curry says that he expects the team “to do admirably – we don’t have the numbers and it would be a challenge to make the New England Championship finals.”
Numbers and age seem to be a major problem for the men. The team is more diverse than the women’s squad; instead of relying on one concentration such as distance, the men offer a wider range of skills.
The men’s team is counting on their upperclassmen to come up with 400M low hurdles key performances throughout the season. Jeff Normant opened the outdoor season with an impressive win in the Tufts’ Snowflake Classic. Joining him in the winner’s circle were Dan Fitzgerald in the 800M and Justin Burdon in the 1500M. Though the trio of juniors is always among the team’s leaders, there are few underclassmen.
But the Snowflake Classic showcased promising young freshman Brad Chun in the pole vault. Chun took first place in the event and helped the team in the field portion of the meet.
Rubin Marin has been out with an injury, making Chun’s points even more valuable.
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