Skowronski's efforts highlight Hawk opener
Monmouth University's track and field teams open season with wins
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

It took just one meet for Monmouth University thrower Ed Skowronski to qualify for the IC4A and NCAA Regional meets.

Competing at the 12th annual Monmouth Season Opener in West Long Branch, the Raritan High School graduate flung the hammer 191-2, good enough to attain the qualifying standards for the IC4A and NCAA. Last year's Northeast Conference champion finished third overall, but first among collegians in the open competition. Skowronski's big throw was one of many highlights for the Monmouth University men, who finished first among the 12 Division I teams at the competition. It marked the 11th time in the meet's 12-year history that the Hawks won their home opener.

Monmouth's women made it a clean sweep for the program as they also finished first.

"We are happy that we continued the tradition of winning at our home opener," said coach Joe Compagni. "We had excellent performances at many events. It was a total team effort."

The Hawks' home opener was scored as multiple dual meets with Monmouth's men going 11-0. Craig Segal, the ex-Holmdel High School state champion, got things going on the track for the men, winning the 10,000 meters in 31:34.53.

David Gaines (Colts Neck) lost in a photo in the 800 meters, taking second in 1:54.30, just .01 behind the winner. Teammate William Doherty was seventh (1:58.12).

In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Martin Suarez (Holy Cross) was second (9:32.90).

Derrik Keich (Tamaqua Area, Pa.) was fourth in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles (56.04), and teammate Darrin Chandler (Paramus Catholic) was sixth in the 400 dash (50.25).

The Hawks got a lot of help from their shot-putters with four of the Top 7 finishes. Nick Williams (Urbana, Md.) led the Hawk parade with a second place (16.18 meters). Williams qualified for the IC4A.

High jumper Michael Buccheri (Raritan) was fifth (1.87 meters) and teammate Matt Losey (Marcus Whitman, N.Y.) placed seventh.

For the women, Tisifenee Taylor (Woodbury) sparked the winning effort, scoring in multiple events. She won the long jump (18-33/4), was third in the 100 hurdles (15.40) and second in the 100 dash (12.79), and was a member of the 4x100 Hawk relay team that was second (48.55).

Deanna Paulson (Washington Township), Michelle Losey (Piscataway) and Latasha Dickson (Matawan) ran the first three legs of the relay team, which achieved an ECAC-qualifying time.

The Hawks quartet of Losey, Illiana Blackshear (West Orange), Crystal Stein (Susquehanna, Pa.) and Dickson won the 4x400 in 3:54.21.

Matawan's Brittany Gibbs won the triple jump at 36-11, setting an MU frosh record and new meet record.

Dickson won the 400 hurdles (1:01.70) and the team piled up points in the 400 hurdles with Ward Melville's Ashley Huffman (56.88), Losey (57.69) and Blackshear (58.47) taking third, sixth and eighth.

Losey scored in the 200, placing eighth (26.23).

Skowronski followed up his win at the opener with another first place in the hammer at the UNC-Charlotte Invitationals last weekend. Skowronski unleashed a 202-2 effort that is currently 19th best in the country and third best ever at Monmouth. The junior was second in the discus (141-7) and fifth in the shot put (48-11 3/4).

That triple earned Skowronski Northeast Conference Field Athlete of the Week recognition.