The Middlebury indoor track teams set a pair of school records and posted a Division III top time at a pair of meets in the Boston area this weekend. The squads took part in the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University's Track & Tennis Center as well as the Gordon Kelly Invitational hosted by M.I.T. Both meets were unscored and featured athletes from all three NCAA divisions and international running clubs. The Panthers will return to the track next weekend when they take part in the Division III New England Championships.
In the Heremy Invitational where select Panthers competed, Wilder Schaaf broke the school record in the mile, crossing the line in 4:09.89. During the Kelly Invitational, Taylor Shortsleeve bettered his own school record in the high jump, clearing the bar at 6'4.75".
Also during the Hemery Invite, the Panther women's distance medley relay quartet of Alison Maxwell, Paige Fernandez, Robin Vincent and Erzie Nagy crossed the line with a fifth-place time of 11:52.47. That mark is the quickest in Division III by nearly nine seconds this season.
Other top-five men's performances at M.I.T. came from Shortsleeve, who won the 60-meter hurdles (8.53) ahead of Tyler Farrell in third (8.89) and Nicholas Blelloch, who tied for fourth (8.99). Chris Veasey also picked up a win during the 600-meter run (1:26.71), while Paul Malloy was third (1:30.44). Michael Pallozzi was fifth in the 200 dash (24.00).
Off the track, Conor Simons leapt to a third-place height in the pole vault (13'7.25"), while Alec Drobac finished fourth in the long jump (19'10.25").
During women's competition at M.I.T., the Panthers tallied a pair of event victories. Natalie Cheung raced across the line first in the 200-meter dash (27.32), just ahead of runner-up Maddie Pronovost (27.69). Perri Silverhart led the field to the line in the 600-meter run (1:43.43).
Top-five efforts were recorded by Isabella Alfaro in the 800 (third, 2:29.95), Cate Skinner, who was third in the 3000 (11:10.62), while Fiona Maloney-McCrystle finished fifth (11:22.93).
Hannah Blackburn leapt to a fourth-place distance in the long jump (16'3.75"), while Day Robins claimed the runner-up spot in the triple jump (34'9") ahead of Emma McGuirk in fourth (33'8.75").
