The West Chester University indoor track & field campaign is off to a great start for both the Men and Women this season. The men’s squad opened the indoor season with three standout performances from all-conference members from a year ago.
Colin Vannicolo starred for the Golden Rams breaking the school record in the heptathlon with 4,398 points last month at the Fast Times Finals meet hosted by Lehigh University. Miles Ransom and Collin Mascola also got off to a spectacular start in multiple events leading the way for the Golden Rams.
Vannicolo placed fourth in the long jump leaping 20 feet, 3 ¾ inches long. Vannicolo also placed fourth in the 60m dash in a time of 7.44 seconds and cleared 5-7 ¼ in the high jump. Ransom earned sixth in both the 60m and the long jump. Mascola tied for second in the high jump in 5-9 ¾ while placing fourth in the shot put with a distance of 36-9 ½.
Senior Ricky Bruno placed in the top five in three events also highlighting West Chester at the Fast Times meet. Bruno earned runner up in the 200m with a time of 22.76 seconds while also placing third in the 60m in 7.13 seconds.
Last Friday Shawn Young won the 400m, pacing an impressive showing for West Chester at the Golden Bear Invitational of Kutztown University. This was the team’s first competition since the calendar turned to 2015.
Young posted a winning time of 51.63 seconds, leading a contingent of Golden Rams to the finish line in the event. West Chester claimed first, second, fourth, and sixth places in the 400m. Ghassan Dix was runner up to Young in 51.86 while Chris Stancil and Sybrim Medina earned fourth and sixth, respectively, in 52.36 and 52.64.
D’Andrew Gursey was also a winner Friday night, taking first place in the triple jump with a leap of 45 feet, 1 inch, West Chester’s eighth- best effort in school history. Teammate Joey DeCecco placed third in the triple jump, clearing 43-10 ½.
West Chester’s 4x400m relay team consisting of Dix, Ryan Heimbach, Brody Honeycutt and Mascola was the other first-place winner for the Golden Rams Friday. The group crossed the line in 3 minutes, 26.94 seconds.
Greg Raudenbush earned a pair of PSAC qualifying distances in the field events at the invitational as well. Raudenbush put the shot 47-5 ¾ to finish runner up while also tossing the weight throw 48-2 for a fifth place showing.
The Golden Rams then took their talents to the Tiger Open at Princeton Saturday. West Chester placed three runners in the top 13 of the 400m and Zack Musselman was nearly PSAC qualifier in his first indoor meet.
The West Chester Women’s track and field has also had an exceptional start. During the season opener at Lehigh University, senior conference champion Kayla Owens picked up where she left off a year ago by winning both the shot put and the weight throw. For her achievement Owens received Corvias ECAC co-athlete of the week honors for Division II women’s track & field.
Owens is coming off a junior campaign a year ago that saw her capture the PSAC Championship during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. This is the first weekly honor for a West Chester track & field athlete this year.
Sarah Kosenske placed third in the triple jump with a distance of 36-8 ¼ while also placing eighth in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet even.
As the Lady Rams took their talents to the Golden Bear Invitational at Kutztown University Owens came back with a pair of event wins, setting a school record in the weight throw.
Owens posted a toss of 52 feet, 2 ¾ inches.
Freshman Kosenske continued her impressive start to her collegiate career with a first- place win in the long jump. She leaped 17-0 ¼. Emily Dusellier won the 800m in a time of 2 minutes, 23.68 seconds which was fair for qualification into the 2015 PSAC Indoor Track & Field Championships next month.
West Chester returns to action for both the men and women Saturday, Jan. 31 for the Bison Open & Multi’s hosted at Bucknell University.
Gianna Seeney is a third-year student majoring in communications with a minor in journalism. She can be reached at GS789405@wcupa.edu