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BOSTON, Mass.--The Ephs competed in the Collegiate Boston Indoor Games on Friday, racing on the same track that will host Bernard Lagat, Galen Rupp, Bershawn "Batman" Jackson, and Ryan Braithwaite, among others, next week. On the fast track at the Reggie Lewis Center, many Ephs put down season's best times. Perhaps most impressively, the Ephs Distance Medley Relay Team, consisting of Brian Cole '11, Peter Young '13, Josephat Koima '12, and Edgar Kosgey '10 finished 2nd of 13 teams. The foursome ran 10:18.45 and finished only behind Division I Vermont's squad. Though the time was a ways off the blistering school record set two years ago, the time easily bested the ECAC qualifying standard of 10:37.68 and just missed the NCAA-provisional mark of 10:10. Keep an eye on the DMR each meet as all four athletes continue to improve.
Against such talented competition, there were fewer Ephs finishing in the top 10 than in most meets, but scoring performances were all the more impressive for that reason. Top individual honors probably belong to freshman Jabs Blyden '13, who has had a real knack for scoring early this season. Blyden ran the 500m in 1:05.89 and finished 4th out of the 30 athletes that were competing. All three athletes who finished in front of him hailed from Division I schools. The 500m distance is not featured at the National level, but Blyden's time did achieve all of the qualifying marks available for the Indoor season. As reference, the 500m qualifier for All New Englands is 1:06.74.
Although freshman Johnny Ray Hinojosa undefeated streak is now over (it had to happen at some point), he still finished 7th in the pole vault. Hinojosa is capable of jumping much higher than the 3.95m vault he offered on Friday. Keep an eye on him later in the season. Tomas Kearney '12 was once again impressive in the triple jump; he finished 6th with a jump of 13.92m. Ben Atkinson also had a strong jump and season PR of 13.20m.
The Ephs throws group by and large did not meet their seed distances. Rusty Cowher had a decent hurl of 13.53m in the shot but was overshadowed by a few really talented athletes from Division I schools including Nate Hunter of Northeastern, who threw an impressive 19.49m to win. Matt Farley '11 was 8th in the weight throw.
The Ephs did well for themselves in the distance and mid-distance events, with PR's abounding. Edgar Kosgey '10 ran to a 5th place finish in the mile in 4:18.01, which is an All-New Englands qualifier. Josephat Koima '12 ran well in the 1000m, running 2:34.44 for 9th and earning an ECAC qualifier. Freshmen Peter Young and Alex Rich both ran PR's. Sophomore Anthony Raduzao gutted out a strong 5K to finish 6th in 15:04 while freshman Scott Rodilitz ran 12 seconds better than his seed time and really surprised his coaches as he ran 15:33 and earned the D-III qualifier.
Next week the Ephs face some of their closest rivals as the head to an Invite at M.I.T.
