DYLAN BESTLER

(Staten Island, NY- February 26th, 2016): Roberts Wesleyan University’s men’s and women’s track teams took home the win at the 2015-2016 ECC Championship.

Roberts also won last year’s indoor championship and last year’s outdoor championship. The women were led by Chelsea Hayward, who won the 60- and 200-meter dash, Kathleen Amstad, who placed 2nd in the 60 and 3rd in the 200, and Rachel Hutchinson, who won the mile and placed 3rd in the 1000. The men were led by David Donavan, who placed 2nd in the 200 and 3rd in the 60, Thomas Rodger, who placed  2nd in the 800 and 3rd in the mile, Justin Bender, who placed 1st in the 5k and 3rd in the 3k, and Aaron McGinnis, who won the triple and long jump.

The Spartans improved their score and position drastically from last year. The women placed 6th out of 8 last year, scoring 54 points, and this year they placed 3rd, scoring 67 points. The men’s team placed dead last in 2015 scoring only 35 points. This year they placed second, scoring an impressive 122 points. The men’s team was led by freshman Saint-Jacob Diodonet, who won the 200-meter and 400-meter dash, placed 2nd in the 60 meter, and was on the 4×400-meter relay team that placed 3rd. Diodonet scored a total of 34 points for the Spartans, and in the process, he also set two meet records in the 200 and 400, running 22.04 and 48.71, respectively. Winslow Dorsainvil and Kristen Borriello also set record times. Dorsainvil ran a 6.83 in the 60 meter dash and Borriello ran a 3:04.56 in the 1000-meter run.

First place performances were had by both the men and women’s Distance Medley Relay teams. The men’s team of Ryan Gasser, Christian Diaz, Dylan Bestler, and Vinny Vasquez placed first in their race along with the women’s team of Patricia Nersten, Marissa Connolly, Amber Lubaszka, and Kristen Borriello. Tristan Holmgren won the high jump, getting over the height of 1.98 meters and also placed 4th in the 60-meter hurdles. Second place finishes included Meaghan Ventarola in the mile and the 3k, Gabby Sloezen in the 400-meter, Vinny Vasquez in the 1000-meter, Frankie Schiavone in the pole vault, and Katie Mollahan in the shot put. All of these athletes earned ECC first team all-conference honors.

Third and fourth place finishes were awarded ECC second team all-conference honors. Those athletes included Dylan Bestler in the 500-meter, Ryan Gasser in the 1000, Katie O’Grady in the 5k, Elias Guardado in the triple jump, and Justin Brown in both the long and triple jump. A great season was capped off by outstanding performances all around. The Spartans have a few weeks off until their spring break trip to Miami.