Fitchburg State Track Opens At UMass Boston

Desrochers posts ECAC qualification marks; women notch 15 MASCAC qualifiers

BOSTON, Mass. (December 1, 2012) – The Fitchburg State men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams opened their 2012-13 campaigns this afternoons they competed at the UMass Boston Invitational hosted by the University of Massachusetts Boston.

The Falcons men’s team had a successful start to the 2012 season as senior Zach Desrochers (Dracut, Mass./Greater Lowell) qualified for four post-season honors in the weight throw. The third-year hurler notched MASCAC, DIII, All-NE and ECAC marks in the weight throw, finishing second overall with a toss of 17.03m. Desrochers also notched MASCAC honors in the shot-put (12.58). Junior Pat Conaty (Southington, Conn./Southington) was the only other Falcon to notch DIII marks with a 4.00m effort in the pole vault, while Fitchburg State collected MASCAC qualifiers in nine other events.

Other notables for the Fitchburg State men’s squad as Brandon Davis (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) in the mile (4:53.30) and 1000m (2:43.87), Jim Quinlan (N. Andover, Mass./N. Andover) in the 1000m and freshman Tim Allen (Methuen, Mass./Central Catholic) in the 1000m (2:44.39). David Oster (Port Monomouth, N.J./Middletown) connected for a pair of MASCAC performances in the shot (11.84m) and weight throw (10.74m), while Conaty added a second qualifier in the 60m dash (7.38).

The Falcons 5K also added a MASCAC effort with a time of , while sophomore Maximum Rocheleau (Winchendon, Mass./Murdock) and freshman Dan Fitzpatrick (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) qualified in the 400m dash with times of 54.02 and 54.11 respectively.

Shining on the women’s side was senior thrower Megan Gonzalez (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood), who notched MASCAC efforts in the shot-put (9.69m) and weight throw (10.96m). Junior Katelyn Sletterink (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield) was also strong in the weight throw with a distance of 9.50m, while Ebony Schuerman (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) and Rebecca McClure (Lyndeborough, N.H./Wilton-Lyndeborough) rounded out the fielder honorees in the long jump (3.93m) and pole vault (2.90m).

On the track, the ladies were just as strong paced by its veterans Chenice Branquinho (E. Freetown, Mass./Old Colony) and Linda Fortunato (Feeding Hills, Mass./Agawam). Branquinho and Fortunato turned in qualifying performances in the 5000m (19:09, 19:56), while Stephanie Irvin added a time of 69.93 in the 400m.

McClure also garnered her second MASCAC qualifier in the 200m (28.83), while Bralia Roy (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) and Jessica Mangan (Everett, Mass./Everett) excelled in the mile.  Freshman Elizabeth Ward (Ashby, Mass./North Middlesex) and sophomore Samantha Wilkinson (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield) wrapped up the individual honors in the 3000m (2:33.90) and 800m (2:50.62), while the 4x400m relay team added a post-season mark (4:37.42).

The Fitchburg State men’s and women’s track and field teams will be back in action next weekend as they visit Harvard University on Saturday afternoon.