Outdoor Season Full Of Promise For Men's and Women's Track & Field; Bulldogs Host Pair of Home Events Including Bryant Invitational April 8

BRYANT TRACK & FIELD PREVIEW

2006 BRYANT TRACK & FIELD READY FOR OUTDOOR SEASON

Bryant University men's and women's outdoor track & field coach Amy Laughlin returns a deep and talented team in 2006, looking to make a run towards a strong finish at the Northeast-10 Conference Championship in May which will be hosted by Bryant University.  

Laughlin's Bulldogs are coming off a strong finish to an indoor season that saw several school records fall and individuals advance to the New England Championships as well as nationals.   In addition, Bryant will host the Northeast-10 Conference Championship at the newly resurfaced Bryant track in May.  It will be the second home meet of the season for the Bulldogs who will host the annual Bryant Invitational April 8.  Earlier this month, the Bulldogs were picked fourth respectively in the preseason coaches' poll.

In order to move up in the poll and make a run for a top three finish in the conference race, the Bulldogs will look to a well-balanced roster throughout most events, particulary in the areas of the sprints.  Sophomore Hafiz Greigre (Attleboro, MA) is coming off a brilliant indoor season that saw the speedster capture titles in both the 55 meters and 200 meters at the conference meet and qualify for the NCAA Championships with the nation's eighth-fastest time in the 200m.  Greigre holds the school outdoor record in the 200m (21.98), as well as the 400 meters (48.31) and looks to make a run for the 100m record after posting a time of 11.02 last year at both Brown and the New England Championships. 

He'll be joined by junior Joe Brennan (East Providence, RI), sophomore James Anacone (Mansfield, MA), junior Chris Guadet (Waltham, MA), Lanre Oyedotum (Lagos, Nigeria), Mike Lawlor (Mansfield, MA) and Mike Lipka (North Providence, RI).  Brennan ran a personal-best 51.38 at Brown last spring and posted the third-best time in the 200m last year in 23.41. 

Junior Natasha Stevenson (Haverhill, MA) begins her first outdoor season for the Bulldog and looks to make a run for the top spot in the sprints in the conference championships in 2006.  Stevenson set three school record during the recent indoor season (55m, 200m, and 400m) including a qualifying time in for New England's in the 200m at 25.27 seconds.

Freshmen Justine Douvadjian (Andover, MA) and Amanda Early (Haverhill, MA) should give the women's team excellent depth in the sprints as both posted solid times during the indoor season.  Junior Tia Freeman (Windham, NH) posted a personal-best time of 66.89 in the women's 400 meters last year at the Bryant Invite.  

In the middle distance, the Bulldogs will have both experience and superior talent back this season. Senior Caleb Paul (Addison, Maine), Jared Nelson (Cranston, RI), Daniel Gehen (Mansfield, CT), Thomas Casey (Cornwall, NY), Stephan Carr (Wolcott, Conn.), and Steve Barone (Trumbull, CT) were key members of the team's successful cross country team in the fall and ran well indoor this winter.  Paul set the school record in the men's 5000 meters as a freshman (15:13.01). 

Nicole Radzik (Sutton, MA) and Kara Tranquillo (Stratford, CT) are back for the women in the middle distance.  Radzik was strong as a freshman in 2005, posteing the team's best marks in both the 3,000 meters (10 minutes, 57.47 seconds) and the 5,000m (19:14.42).   Juniors Jennifer Goodwin (Yarmouthport, Mass.) and Sandra Greene (Townsend, MA) are back in '06. 

The field events will be anchored around the leadership of Mike Nessralla (Halifax, MA).  The school record holder in the discus throw (149-3 set as a sophomore).  As a senior this year, he'll be counted on to lead the field events in the discus, shot put and hammer throw. 

Under the direction of assistant coach and former U. Albany standout Karrie Spagnola the women's field events should be strong this spring, especially with the return of sophomore Amber Torrey (Plainfield, NH) and junior Heather Clay (Hanson, MA)., Torrey posted Bryant's best marks in three events last spring, including a mark of 150 feet, 6 inches in the hammer throw at Brown in May.  She turned in top marks in both the shot put (37-2.25) and discus (107-8) at the Bryant Invitational.  Senior Sarah Slingerland (Port Jefferson, NY) and freshman Rachel Martinich (Fairfield, CT) look to improve their indoor marks this spring.