BY JOSEPH FONTANAZZA
SC Contributing Writer
Last weekend, ESU Warriors Track and Field team escaped the cold of Poconos to the just as dreary Lewisburg, PA, for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Indoor Championship.
The meet was filled with some of the state’s most talented track teams, including Shippensburg and Slippery Rock, but ESU showed why they are considered one of the premiere teams in the PSAC conference.
Both the men’s and women’s teams placed second in the final standings.
Individually, ESU also fared well as track team standouts Danielle Smith (60m, 200m), Christina O’Connor (High Jump), Elizabeth Madden (Weight Throw), Theresa Horn (Heptathlon), Seth Bailey (High Jump), and Travis Toth (Weight Throw) all placed first in their respective events.
Additionally, the women’s 4×800 Relay team, Meghan Ragard (2:23.20), Imani Rosario (2:20.91), Lauren Toth (2:24.24), Kim Wernerspach (2:16.92) placed first.
With these impressive performances Danielle Smith (60m, 200m), Kim Wernerspach (3000m), Christina O’Connor (High Jump), Elizabeth Madden (Weight Throw), Theresa Horn (Pentathalon), Damien Boham (400m), Seth Bailey and William Berry (High Jump), Travis Toth and Mike Smith (Weight Throw) and the men’s 4x400m Relay team all qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships.
Junior, Danielle Smith added her sixth and seventh PSAC championships to her illustrious career.
However, with Smith team leaders’ careers in their final years, this meet gave valuable experience to some of the teams’ underclassmen.
One of those underclassmen was freshman, Robert Garvey who played a key role in the Warriors second place finish in the men’s 400 Meter Relay.
Garvey commended the Warriors’ coaching staff tactics for readying the team for the year’s biggest indoor meet.
“We did a lot of tapering, less strength more basics to make sure we don’t hurt ourselves.” said Garvey of the physical training.
With the preparation, the Warriors showed up with a “calm before the storm attitude, knowing we had something to prove.” added Garvey.
The freshman sprinter mentioned that the Warriors’ mood was echoed throughout the PSACs.
“There was a very professional feel..strictly business” he said.
As a freshman, Robert Garvey is still getting used to the college level and his competition.
When seeing unfamiliar faces in his opponents a freshman could get rattled but having older mentors helps keep nerves down.
“A guy like Keith Paker-Washington is a big role model for me.” Garvey said.
“Damian Boham, who is our captain and 400 meter outdoor champion and runner up this year is very helpful and inspires me to do better. And Will Berry, we both went to the same high school, he was part of the reason I came here, great person and great athlete. They really helped me especially for this.” he added.
With Indoor PSACs being over, the scene will shift to the outdoor season, which Garvin gleefully called “a whole different sport.”
Email Joseph at:
jfontana@live.esu.edu
