CCSU's Third Place Finish at NEC Championships Is Program Best

Central Connecticut State University finished with its best showing in school history at the Northeast Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Sunday. The Blue Devils placed third out of 11 teams with a total score of 79 points. CCSU was led in day two action by third place finishes by senior Ry Sanderson and sophomore Jeremy Schmid.

Central Connecticut continued its rise to the top of the conference track scene this weekend with a third place finish. Last season the Blue Devils finished fourth and fifth in the league indoor and outdoor championships, respectively. Both were program bests accomplishments. This fall CCSU won its first ever NEC Cross Country Championship and this winter they matched last year's fourth place finish at the conference indoor meet.

Monmouth took home the team championship with 214.5 points, while Long Island was the runner-up with 137.5 points. Mount St. Mary's and Sacred Heart were just behind the Blue Devils with 78.5 and 74 points, respectively.

Sanderson, who won the 10,000 meter run on Saturday, took third place in the 5,000 meters to lead CCSU on Sunday. The senior recorded a time of 15:24.62 in the event. Sophomore Sam Alexander and freshman Craig Hunt also put forth top performances in the 10,000. The former placed fifth in a time of 15:35.38, while the latter crossed the line in 15:39.23 to take sixth.

Schmid finished less than a second behind the winner in the 1,500 meter run. His time of 4:00.57 was good enough for third place in the event. Freshman Mohamed Hrezi also recorded a top performance in the middle distance. He placed fourth in the 800 meters, recording a time of 1:54.13.

Hrezi was also a member of the CCSU 4x400 meter relay team that placed seventh at the championships. The team of Hrezi, freshman Dan Hopper and sophomores Myles Mason and Michael Waterbury recorded a time of 3:22.24. Hopper, juniors Josue Paul and Harry Lewis, and freshman Keith Boyd-Carter added an eighth place finish in the 4x100 meter relay. The squad crossed the line in 43.66 seconds.

Paul and sophomore Anthony Gonsalves also competed in individual final action on Sunday. Paul placed eighth in the 100 meter final with a time of 11.07 seconds. Gonsalves took ninth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, crossing the line in 10:03.56.

Sophomore Matt Berube, who won the high jump on Saturday, put forth a sixth place finish in the triple jump on Sunday. He recorded a distance of 45'11.25".