Complete Results
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - It was a special day for the Manhattan College track & field team on Saturday. First, the Jaspers opened the 2012-13 indoor season with the annual Manhattan College Opener at Draddy Gymnasium. Then the squad honored its history, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the program with a reception and ceremony at halftime of the women's basketball game later in the afternoon.
On the track, the highlight was the school-record by Abdias Myrtil (Wheatley Heights, N.Y.) in the men's 60 meters. Myrtil was hand-timed in 6.6 seconds. That time converts to 6.84 seconds, which tops John Farley's mark of 6.93 seconds set in 2000. Cara Rostant (Valley Stream, N.Y.) just missed setting another new school-record in the women's 300 meters. She finished in 40.4 seconds, which, when adjusted, is just 0.24 off Lisa Daley's 20-year-old mark.
Competing in his first meet as a Jasper, Tom Bechert (Munich, Germany) was impressive in the men's pole vault. He won the event with a leap of 5.00 meters (16 feet, 4¾ inches), and also placed fifth in the shot put (13.41 m, 44'0). Rokas Kirlys (Kamaji, Lithuania) captured first place in the shot put with a mark of 16.01 m (52'6½). Anastas Papazov (Balchik, Bulgaria) finished third in the shot put (13.74 m, 45'1) and was the top collegian in the weight throw (17.60 m, 57'9).
Sheldon Derenoncourt (Patchogue, N.Y.) earned the victory in the men's 300 (36.1), and Matt Perrelli (Smithtown, N.Y.) had a solid second-place effort in the men's high jump, clearing 1.89 m (6'2¼).
Melissa Yap (Orchard Park, N.Y.) won the women's pole vault with a clearance at 3.30 m (10'10), and Andrea Nyback (Koping, Sweden) earned the victory in the women's long jump (5.56 m, 18'3). Nyback also placed second in the 60 meter hurdles (9.1), finishing just ahead of teammate Doreen Horschig (Lumpzig, Germany) in both events (long jump: 5.30 m, 17'4¾; 60 hurdles: 9.3).
Ashley Bowman (Elmont, N.Y.) and Wahnetah Carty (Gales Ferry, Conn.) placed second and third in the women's 60 meters, notching times of 7.6 and 7.9 seconds, respectively. Also with an impressive showing in the 300 was Ieva Vitola (Jekabpils, Latvia). Vitola finished in 42.7 seconds, which was good for third place in the event. In addition, Alina Koenigs (Moenchengladbach, Germany) had a solid debut for the Jaspers. She took second in the triple jump (10.90 m, 35'9¼) and fourth in the shot put (12.13 m, 39'9¾).
More than 50 track & field alumni throughout the years returned to campus to take part in the day-long 100th-anniversary festivities. In fact, several competed in the meet, with Jake Freeman '04 winning the men's weight throw, Kosta Randjic '10 capturing first place in the men's triple jump, and Megan Tice '11 placing first in the women's high jump.
The Jaspers return to action with a dual meet against Columbia at the New Balance Armory Track & Field Center at 12 p.m. on Friday. Manhattan will also send some athletes to next Saturday's Yale Season Opener.
