Hawks Open Track Season Strong

WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. — SUNY New Paltz opened its 2000-01 track season with fourth place team finishes on both the men’s and women’s sides at the Williams College Indoor Meet on Saturday afternoon.

Newcomer Tasha Budar (15’4 ¼”) set a school record and qualified for the SUNYAC Championships with a second-place finish in the Long Jump. The Hawks actually took second through fifth place in the event, as Pam Abbene (third, 14’7 ¾”), Cassie Quackenbush (fourth, 14’4″) and Heidi Dippel (fifth, 14’0″) also placed.

Meanwhile, Katie Dwyer (5’0″) was second in the High Jump, with Abbene (4’10”) and Dippel (4’8″) fourth and fifth, respectively, and Andrea Drayss (10.90) qualified for the ECAC Championships with a second-place finish in the Shot Put. Also, Budar took third in the Triple Jump (30’10 ¼”) and Quackenbush set a New Paltz record with her fifth-place time of 46.18 in the 300 Meters.

On the men’s side, it could easily be deemed the Dale Eberhardt show. The senior qualified for both the SUNYAC and ECAC Championships with his third-place time of 8.21 in the 55-meter Hurdles, and also had a SUNYAC qualifying mark of 20’9 ¾” in the Long Jump, finished fourth (38.73) in the 300 Meters, and anchored the second place 4 x 400 Meter Relay team.

Matt Selkirk finished third (12’6″) in the Pole Vault and fifth (38.74) in the 300 Meters, while Adam Thyberg was fourth (also 12’6″) in the Pole Vault. Selkirk, Jay Scott, and John Montesano were the other members of the 4 x 400 Relay team.

New Paltz returns to action after the holidays with an indoor meet at Plattsburgh on January 13.