RIVERDALE, N.Y. - At the 2011 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Indoor Championships, the Manhattan College men's indoor track & field team held off Rider by five points to win its 15th consecutive conference title, only to see the Broncs take the outdoor crown three months later. The Manhattan women, meanwhile, finished second last year, as Saint Peter's claimed its first MAAC title. The Jaspers are eager to reclaim the top spot, and they get that chance on Friday night, when the 2012 MAAC Indoor Championships take place at the New Balance Armory Track & Field Center.
"I'm expecting a tough meet, a very close competition," Head Coach Dan Mecca said. "This is the first time we're not the returning champions. We lost outdoors last year, and we want to win our championship back."
On the men's side, Manhattan is particularly strong in the field events. Colin Quirke (Los Gatos, Calif.), the Most Outstanding Performer for Field Events at last year's MAAC Championships, is the top seed in the shot put, while teammate Roman Ewald (Olching, Germany) has qualified for the IC4A Championships in both the shot put and weight throw. Ewald has the best mark in the conference this season in the weight throw. Defending champion Brian McGovern (Yonkers, N.Y.) is the best pole vaulter in the conference, and Felix Siljeback-Larsen (Vasteras, Sweden) could provide points in four different events. Albert Johnson III (Painted Post, N.Y.) is among the favorites in the long jump, as is Trevell Moxey (Lansdale, Pa.) in the triple jump.
In the sprints, the Jaspers are led by Abdias Myrtil (Wheatley Heights, N.Y.), who'll run both the 60 and 200 meters. Fellow newcomer Sheldon Derenoncourt (Patchogue, N.Y.) should contend in the 400 meters. Kevin D'Emic (Rockaway Point, N.Y.), Greg Perrier (Dix Hills, N.Y.) and Mikael Rojeras (Sala, Sweden) anchor the distance corps.
"On the men's side, there are a lot of key events," Mecca said. "This could be a one-point meet either way. It'll come right down to the mile relay."
The sprinters are the strength of the women's team. Cara Rostant (Valley Stream, N.Y.) and Heidy Palacios (Yonkers, N.Y.), who've both won MAAC Performer of the Week honors this season, have both qualified for the ECAC Championships in the 400 meters, and Rostant is the top seed in the event. Rostant is also the No. 1 seed in the 200 meters, while Ashley Bowman (Elmont, N.Y.) has the best time in the conference this season in the 60 meters. Maria Jangsten (Gothenburg, Sweden) and Milena Stoicev (Nis, Serbia) lead the way in the distance events.
Another key contributor could be Andrea Nyback (Koping, Sweden), who'll compete in five events. Nyback is seeded second in the long jump, third in the high jump, and fourth in the hurdles. Doreen Horschig (Lumpzig, Germany) will also challenge for the MAAC title in those three events. Manhattan also boasts the top three women's pole vaulters in the league-Karolin Wagner (Ribbesbuettel, Germany), Melissa Yap (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and Sarah Moore (Irvington, N.Y.).
"For the women's squad, we have a couple of key injuries," Mecca said. "That doesn't mean we can't win. It just means that some of the other athletes will really need to step up and do what they can."
It's expected to once again be a close competition between the Manhattan and Rider men, while Saint Peter's is favored to win its second straight women's title. The top eight finishers in each event will score team points on the women's side (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1), while the men's meet is scored to six places (10-8-6-4-2-1). Action gets underway at 6 p.m. with the men's weight throw and women's 3000 meters, and concludes shortly after 10 p.m. with the men's and women's 4 x 400 meter relays.
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