The semester is rapidly coming to an end, and with it, the University of New Haven’s Track and Field teams are also putting the finishing touches on their season. The championship is nearly underway, where meets become more competitive and exclusive to the top collegiate athletes. This past weekend was the last chance for athletes to compete prior to championship season.

Over the weekend, the track teams visited Philadelphia to take part in the historic Penn Relays. Penn Relays has been taking place annually since 1895, and attracts some of the best high school, collegiate, and professional talent from around the world.

The teams were in full force on the second day of the Relays. The men’s team put up solid times in both the 4×100 and 4×200 relays. In the 4×200, Thomas Koppleman, Paul Orduson, James Irwin, and D’Nathan Knox put up a time of 1:33.44. In the lightning-fast 4×100 race, JoJo Robinson, Daikichi Washington, Jahir Blanton, and Muna Anosike posted a mark of 43.13 seconds.

On the women’s side, Essence Sterling, Dominique Pendleton, Teyana Whyte, and Andrea McIntosh ran a time of 1:45.51 in their 4×200 race. The team also competed in a sprint medley relay, an exciting race where team members run uneven distances, making a balanced team very important. Pendleton and McInstosh ran this race with Riley Knebes and Nicole Maliborska, completing the race in 4:22.06.

The Chargers also posted some impressive tallies in the field, with Roxie Redwood triple jumping 11.14 meters, and Michael Kandolin throwing a hammer 50.90 meters, his third-best mark of the season.

The track teams wrapped up a busy weekend back in Connecticut, as the Men’s team participated in Yale’s Springtime Invitational on Sunday. The team blew out most of the competition in triple jump, taking three of the top four spots, but not first place. D’Nathan Knox took second place with a mark of 12.97 meters, Mario Rotella leaped 12.48 meters, and Justin Johnson finished fourth, with 12.21 meters. Knox was also able to take fourth place in the long jump, jumping 6.27 meters or 20.6 feet.

On the running side, Muna Anosike managed to finish fifth in the 200 meter dash with an impressive time of 22.94 seconds.

With the regular season wrapped up, many athletes have run their last races or will in the near future. Championship season kicks off this weekend with the New England-10 championships in Springfield, Massachusetts. The following weekend, top athletes will compete in the New England Outdoor Championships in Williamstown, Massachusetts.  
Should any athletes or teams advance further, the NCAA Division II Championships will take place May 25-27 in Bradenton, Florida.