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With spring track season just around the corner, the 2006 team is looking to build off their success in the indoor season and peak as many Mariners as possible to qualify for ECAC and NCAA competition.

 

Head coach Yolanda Flamino uses the various meets throughout the year to get her team ready for the important competitions later in the campaign, such as the CTC Championships, the ECAC Championships and the NCAA Championships.

 

The spring track team uses the fall cross country and the winter track seasons to help build a base for the spring. With the academy's sea requirement, the year-long consistency is broken up, but the team uses the winter and fall to improve upon their current athletes.

 

"We are a diverse team ability wise," said Flamino. "We concentrate each year on getting individuals to meet their max potential and continually improve upon their personal bests."

 

The CTC Championships will be a competitive meet, with teams participating from Division I - Division III teams. With a solid team effort from everyone, the Mariners hope to finish in the top-5. The conference competition will take place from April 22-23 at DeSales University in Center Valley, PA. In 2004, the Mariner track and field team took third at the CTC Championships.

 

Some other key meets to keep in mind will be the Coach "O" Invitational at home on April 15. More than twenty teams from across divisional lines will be competing at the April invitational, including: Fordham University, New York University, DeSales and C.W. Post. At the Invitational last season, sophomore Callie Beeler set her mark by breaking the academy record in the mile, and graduated senior Samantha Skeens set the record in the 3000m.

 

The Penn Relays, taking part on April 25-28, will also be an important meet for the Mariners. Last season at the Penn relays, senior Adam Polite finished fourth in the Penn Relays Decathalon, qualifying for NCAA competition and breaking the academy's 21-year old decathalon record.

 

 

 

Polite, an important returnee for the Mariner men, is the Mariners' senior captain and decathlete whose goal is to return to Nationals and earn All-American status this year. At his first event the 2005 NCAA Division III Championships, an unexpected injury crippled his chances of competing.

 

In late April 2005, Polite set the school's record in the decathlon at 6,618 points. In the 2005-2006 indoor season, he has the school record of 3,318 points in the pentathalon and 22-4.25" in the long jump. Last outdoor season, Polite automatically qualified for national competition in the decathlon with the seventh-best qualifying mark in the country. His freshman season, he was one point away from national qualification. Due to sea requirements, Polite did not compete his sophomore year.

 

Another key returnee on the men's side is junior sprinter Ben Hayes. Hayes will help earn important points for the Mariners in the 400 meter and 400m-hurdle events. In his freshman season, Hayes has a personal record in the 400m-IH at 55.66 seconds. He will be shooting to break the school record of 54.8 seconds.

 

This indoor season, the Colorado native has set personal records in the open 400m (52.72 seconds) and 800m (2:05.27) sprints. Hayes also spent his sophomore spring season at sea.

 

Other key returnees to the men's spring team are Charles Mayrer, Aaron Reimer and Adam Rapacki.

 

Mayrer is the Mariners' senior discus thrower, who did not compete last season due to the Academy's sea year requirement. His goal for the season is to break the Academy's record of 155'1" set in 1981 by D. Fitzgerald at the IC4A Championships. Prior to this season, Mayrer's personal best is 141'1."

 

Reimer is a junior pole vaulter who also spent last spring at sea. Currently, he is three quarters of an inch shy of the indoor academy record in pole vaulting. At the Frank Golden Invite on Feb. 4, he set his personal best of 13' 11.25," qualifying him for ECAC competition.

 

Rapacki will be a solid middle distance runner and steeple chaser. He was a major point scorer at the conference meet his sophomore year.

 

On the women's side, sophomores Callie Beeler and Sarah Jones will be helping to earn major points in this season's meets. Beeler currently holds the outdoor academy records in the 1500m (4:47.41) and the mile (5:13.59), and is looking to break the academy's record in the 800m, held by Anna Maly since 1992 (2:25.29). Prior to the season, her personal best in the 800m is 2.25.8.

 

Jones is one the few returning Mariners. She is looking to improve upon her personal bests in the pole vault (8.0" indoor) and 200m (30.32 seconds) events.

 

 

With their success and experience during the indoor season, Flamino is looking for fresh faces to make a significant impact on this outdoor season.

 

Freshman Laura Ladd, is a distance runner from Tampa, FL, who has been steadily improving her times in the distance events during the cross country and indoor season. Fellow classmate Christine MacMillan, will compliment the Mariners with her versatility, competing in the hurdles and sprints while also dabbling in the other field events. The Texas native's long term goal is to hold the academy record in the hurdles, which are currently both set by Anna Maly in 1993 (100m H: 15.90, 400m H: 62.30).

 

For the men, new faces to the outdoor track will be Robert Edsall, Scott Britton, Michael Budesa, Daniel Feeney, Christopher Millon and Michael Newsom.

 

Edsall, a freshman from Lakehead, CA, is one of the Mariners' top indoor distance runners, and top cross country runners this past season. He will be a versatile player in the middle distance and distance events. His main focus will be on the steeple chase.

 

Britton, Budesa and Feeney will help add strength and distance to the team. They have all participated in the indoor and cross country seasons and are looking to make an impact for the Mariners on the outdoor track. They will be a strong combination in the 400m, 800m, and mile runs, with similar personal records from high school.

 

Millon is a freshman javelin thrower whose high school personal best was the mid-170. Newsom will be joining the Mariners as a high jumper, whose season record so far is 6'6." He will be very competitive within the conference and at ECACs, with a hopeful look at NCAA qualification.

 

The first home meet for the Mariners will be the Coach "O" Invitational on April 15. The Mariners will also hold the Kings Point Invitational on Saturday, May 6.