Track and Field Competes in Landmark Championships
Catholic’s Track and Field Team posing after competing at Indoor Landmark Championships
Image courtesy of Catholic Athletics
By: Renee Rasmussen
Saturday morning started early for the track and field team, as it loaded the bus and made its way to Susquehanna, Pennsylvania for the 2020 Landmark Indoor Championships. The team has been working hard for this meet all season.
Overall, Catholic’s Track and Field team had a great showing, breaking six school records. The women’s team finished sixth with 20 points while the men’s team finished fourth with 59 points. On the men’s team, six people were named to the All-Landmark Conference Team, including Joseph LaPointe and Cosmo Pirozzi in the 800m, as well as CeeJa Beckett, Patrick Maxwell, Robert Novak and Kyle Haase in the 4×200 meter relay.
“My thoughts coming into this meet are that I’ve done everything to prepare and that I have all the right tools to succeed,” said Paige Wilderotter, a sophomore nursing major.
Throughout the season, runners have been breaking school records left and right, including sophomore Anna Walcutt in the 500m, and sophomore Hannah Marino in the 600m. This meet is now a culmination of all their hard work and as their team chant says, they “bleed red.”
Freshman Matt Lally had a great race, finishing 6th in the 60m hurdles finals with a time of 9.54 and also making it on the podium. In the 60m dash finals junior Beckett had a great showing, finishing 2nd with a time of 7.22, and making it on the podium. He initially set the school record for this event in the first meet of the season with a time of 7.24. In the 60m hurdles finals junior Michael Dreitlein finished 3rd with a time of 8.87, making it onto the podium, and setting the school record.
“This season started out rough and I couldn’t get my footing in my races until the last meet before conferences,” Dreitlein said. “But with the support of my teammates, I was able to place 3rd and set the school record in the 60m hurdles. I’m so thankful to the wonderful teammates having my back and reminding me that I can do it.”
On the relay side, the women’s 4×200 consisting of Catherine Cerroni, Carlene Idone, Abigail Walter, and Madeline Baker had a great race, finishing 4th with a time of 1:53.23. The men’s team ran a 1:35.17 and placed 2nd, breaking the school record.
In the 800m dash, Catholic had a great showing with Victoria Carlini coming in 4th with a time of 2:26.51 and Marino coming in 6th with a time of 2:28.87. Both women made it on the podium for Catholic. In the men’s race, LaPointe once again had a great showing, placing 2nd with a time of 1:26.62, setting another school record.
To finish off the running events, the women’s 4×400 team including Natalie Troy, Olivia Fiore, Madeleine Strokis, and Walcutt placed 5th with a time of 4:20.38 while the men’s team consisting of Novak, Maxwell, LaPointe and Pirozzi came in 2nd with a time of 3:32.18. On the field side of the afternoon, Beckett broke his own record in the long jump with a mark of 6.80 meters.
The highlight of the day, however, was when Beckett was named Rookie of the Year. For Beckett, this is his second time winning this award, after winning it at the Landmark Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships last spring. He is only the fifth athlete to win the award for both Indoor and Outdoor, but it was rightfully earned with Beckett winning a total of 24 out of the 59 points earned by Catholic’s men’s team. Throughout his indoor season Beckett has broken three records. While also breaking his record in the 60 meter, he has also broken the school record in the long jump with a mark of 6.6 meters and 55 meter dash with a time of 6.56.
“The best part of the season is being apart of a family who helps one another strive for greatness,” Beckett said.
