College Track & Field
Rider Invitational

LAWRENCEVILLE-The Broncs hosted the Rider Invitational Saturday, with the men finishing second of 10 teams with 151 points and the women finishing third of eight teams with 102 points.  Monmouth University men (266-points) and women (234-points) won the meet. 

"I was really pleased today," said Rider head coach Bob Hamer. "We've been looking to step up as a team and I think we did that today. The team came together today in a home meet."

For the Rider men, sophomore Steven Brown (Penns Grove) won both the triple jump and the long jump.

"Steve is one of those guys that is a game-day competitor," Hamer said. "He's been a little banged up but he got a chance to compete today and did great."

For the Rider women, junior Mia Riley (West Caldwell/James Caldwell) won the 100m and placed second in the 200m "Mia had a good day," Hamer said. "She's a competitor that we can always count on."

Senior Heather Giovagnoli (Royersford, Pa./Spring Ford) won the 800m in a Rider record time. "Heather was great, setting another team record," Hamer said. "She's on a roll right now. It just goes to show that if you believe in yourself and have a lot of confidence in what you are doing and you stay healthy you can accomplish a lot of goals."

Junior David Hightower (Easton, Pa./Easton) won 110m hurdles in an IC4A qualifying time. "Hightower ran a really strong race," Hamer said.

Senior Ron Moore (Nashville, Tenn./John Overton)  won the 400m hurdles. "Moore is always capable of what he did today so I was excited to see him do that," Hamer said.

Freshman George Solujich (East Windsor, NJ/Notre Dame) qualified for IC4A in the shot put and graduate student Mike Soroko (Kinnelon) won the 1500m.

"Soroko did a great job in the 1500," Hamer said. "He's another guy who has been injured and he finally got a chance to compete today and he did well."   

The 4x100-meter relay team of junior James Burroughs (West Orange), freshman Anthony DeFranco (Berkeley Heights/Gov. Livingston), Hightower and Moore finished in second in at 42.43. In the 4x800 relay, senior David South (Sergeantsville/Hunterdon Central), Soroko, Wesh, and freshman Nasser Zayer (Staten Island N.Y./St. Peter's) placed second in 7:55.69.

Sophomore Treasure Burke (Pennsauken/Camden Catholic) placed second in the hammer with an ECAC qualifying distance. "Burke had a PR (personal record) by eight meters," Hamer said. "That was a tremendous throw. She has worked really hard for that."

The 4x800-meter relay team of junior Laura Staples (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham), junior Erin Fitzgibbons (Sayreville), sophomore Katie Williams (Franklin, NJ/Wallkill Valley), and junior Paige McAtee (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) place fourth in 9:51.76.

Also for the men, junior Greg Wesh (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) placed second in the 800m and sophomore Corey O'Neil (Old Bridge) placed second in the 3,000m steeplechase.

The 4x400-meter relay team of freshman Michael Breen, junior James Burroughs (West Orange), junior Dave Brown (Ewing), Burroughs, and Hightower finished in third place (3:20.32.)

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