Amherst Results

Performer of the Meet: Matt Melton '14 and Greg Turissini '15

On February 11, the Amherst College men’s track and field team arrived at the Boston University Indoor Track and Field Center with one goal: achieve a 75% PR rate.  At the end of the day, of Amherst’s 29 entries, 26 resulted in PRs (89.6%), most of them substantial.  The Lord Jeff sprint crew got the ball rolling.  Junior Selasie Krampa nailed a 7.27 PR in the 60m dash to qualify for DIII New Engalnds, while first-year Nick Codola ran a 52.49 personal best in the open 400, leading an Amherst field that also included sophomore Kash Aleshinloye and junior Wrenford Thaffe, both of whom also lowered their personal best times in the event.  In the 500m dash, Amherst’s lone competitor, senior Pete Skurman, ran a 1:11.91 for his top time in the event.  The next Jeff competitors on the oval raced in the mile.  Senior captain Ben Q. Scheetz led the group of six harriers with an 11-second PR of 4:03.95, just off Robert Mitchell’s school record.  Junior Pat Grimes also ran an excellent PR at 4:12.57, and Amherst’s four other entrants – first years Lucas Lebovitz and Romey Sklar, and sophomores Alva Morales and Gus Greenstein (all of whom PR-ed) – demonstrated outstanding competitive drive, each placing second in his heat.  The men’s 200m dash saw four indoor PRs fall.  Selasie Krampa returned to the track and posted a 23.00 to qualify for DIII New Englands in a second event but was disqualified for a lane violation.  Sophomores Persie Gijima and Javier Paulino duked it out in heat 30 finishing back-to-back in 23.52 and 23.79.  Finally, first year Kobi Quaye ducked under 25 seconds for the first time this season, displaying improved foot speed to notch a 24.92.  Next, Amherst’s six entrants in the 800m run took to the track.  Sophomore Matt Melton led the group, posting a huge PR in a cool 1:53.33, nearly winning his heat.  Seniors Geoff Ainslie and Chris Erickson, junior Eli Howe, sophomore Charlie Reighard, and first year Alex Durkee all followed suit in best times of their own in good, aggressive races – particularly on the part of Durkee.  Finally, the late events saw four Amherst harriers all top their previous personal bests.  First year Greg Turissini competed in the 3,000m run, clocking in at 8:38.99, good enough for an ECAC mark, while junior Andrew Erskine nailed a 14:41.07 in his 5,000m run with first year KC Fussell and junior Dillon Buckley clocking 15:05.51 and 15:09.17 in their own 25-lap turns.