Men’s Track & Field: UConn Dominant In Beantown Challenge

(UConn Athletics)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The UConn men's track & field team put together a dominating performance to defend their team title at the 2022 Beantown Challenge at Harvard this weekend.

The Huskies piled up 201 total points to best the field and win the meet for the second-straight time, also taking the title in 2020, the last time it was held. In second place was host Harvard with 79 points and UMass Lowell in third with 78.

"The men's team came out today and looked like the defending BIG EAST champs," stated Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Greg Roy. "This was an amazing job for the first meet of the year. A great starting point for both teams coming out of this meet. Looking forward, I am excited after what we saw this weekend."

UConn got first place finishes on the track from junior Wellington Ventura (Cresskill, N.J.) in the 500 meters and freshman Mahamed Sharif (Westbrook, Maine) in the 1000 meters and in the field events, senior Matthew Brady (Biddeford, Maine) won the shot put, classmate Daniel Claxton (Nesconset, N.Y.) took the high jump, sophomore Richmond Kwaateng (Lowell, Mass.) won the long jump, junior Tyler Hrbek (Northvale, N.J.) the pole vault and junior Travis Snyder (Saco, Maine) won the heptathlon.

Heptathlon

Competing in his first career heptathlon, junior Travis Snyder (Saco, Maine) notched a victory with a total of 5192 points over the seven events. Snyder won two events, taking the 60m hurdles in a time of 8.58 seconds and his specialty, the pole vault, clearing a height of 5.30m, a new personal best both indoors and outdoors.

On The Track

The UConn junior tandem of Wellington Ventura (Cresskill, N.J.) and Noah Woodman (Hampstead, N.H.) went 1-2 in the 500 meters.

Ventura clocked a personal-best time of 1:02.72 and just missed setting a new school record (1:02.02 – Robert Rhodes/1994). Ventura was followed by Woodman in third at 1:04.78, just off his personal best in the event.

Junior Joseph O'Brien (Shrewsbury, Mass.) posted a personal best in the 60m dash, posting a time of 6.91 seconds, good for fourth place overall. It was all UConn in the 1000 meters, claiming the top-five spots.

Freshman Mahamed Sharif (Westbrook, Maine) made his indoor season debut as a Husky and won his first time out with a time of 2:27.17. Senior James Maniscalco (Fairfield, Conn.) was second in the mile with a time of 4:12.12 a new personal best time.

The Huskies had three runners in the finals of the 60m hurdles with junior Xavier Smith (West Windsor, N.J.) leading the way with a second place clocking of 8.10 seconds. Junior Nicholas Pronovost (Coventry, Conn.) was third in 8.31 seconds, a new PR, and senior Benjamin Grosse (Wayzata, Minn.) was fifth in 8.82 seconds.

In the 4x440 relay, Woodman, Markus Bagley (Jersey City, N.J.), O'Brien and Ventura grabbed the top-spot with a time of 3:17.53.

In The Field

Senior Daniel Claxton (Nesconset, N.Y.) picked-up his first high jump victory of the season, clearing a height of 2.13 meters.

Senior Matthew Brady (Biddeford, Maine) got his indoor season off to a winning start, grabbing the top-spot in the shot put with a throw of 17.03 meters.

Sophomore Richmond Kwaateng (Lowell, Mass.) won the long jump in his first time out this year, posting a leap of 7.30 meters.

UConn went 1-2 in the pole vault with junior Tyler Hrbek (Northvale, N.J.) winning the event at a new personal best height of 5.20 meters.

Freshman Patrick Oatman (Shrewsbury, Mass.) was second at 4.52 meters.

Freshman Kasey Savage (Tolland, Conn.) made his collegiate debut and competed in the triple jump, finishing second with a jump of 14.09 meters.

In the weight throw, senior Christopher Keegan (West Hartford, Conn.) took third with a throw of 18.10 meters.