The University of Rhode Island men’s track and field team placed second in a competitive University of Connecticut Northeast Challenge on Friday and Saturday thanks to four first-place finishes.
Rhode Island scored 136.5 points, 40 more points than third-place finisher Southern Connecticut State University and 29.5 fewer points than first-place University of Connecticut. The Rams reached the podium in 11 different events, and their most notable performance was fifth-year Alexander Baez’s hammer toss of 62.79 meters. Baez’s toss not only won him the event at UConn but will also likely qualify him for the NCAA Regional Championships on May 28, as it’s the 32nd best throw from the East region this season. The toss is also the third longest in program history.
“Having a guy like Alex Baez do what he did this weekend was really crucial for the throws group,” Rhode Island Head Coach Trent Baltzell said. “He’s a leader on the team; guys look up to [him], he does everything right.”
Baez wasn’t the only Ram to break through, as second-year Alex Arbogast set a new personal record in the 200-meter with a time of 21.34 seconds, good enough for third place.
“I think [Arbogast] at UConn was trying to prove to himself and the staff that he’s capable of going to [the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship] and competing in a lot of events,” Baltzell said. “In his third race of the day, he was able to PR in that 200, and it’s crucial to have that gas at the end of the meet.”
Arbogast is now set to compete in the 100-meter, the 200-meter as well as the 4×100-meter relay at the A-10 Championship. Participating in these events is something that he aimed to do this season, and Baltzell feels as though Arbogast has proven he can do it.
Other winners for Rhode Island included fourth-year Mason Brubaker in the pole vault, clearing 4.85 meters; it’s also the third-best pole vault in the Atlantic 10 this season. Fifth-year LJ Raye set a new personal record in the 100-meter with a time of 10.58 seconds.
Raye and Arbogast were both a part of the Rams’ 4×100 relay team that placed second with a time of 40.62 seconds; the other two members of the four-man team included second-year Mason Pilkington and fifth-year Liam Creely. It was just the second time this outdoor season that the Rams competed in the 4×100, and the first time they finished the race; the Rams time was good for second in the A-10, only behind George Mason University at 40.43 seconds.
Rhode Island received major contributions from its underclassmen as well; four of them found their way to the podium. The top finisher among the underclassmen was first-year Cam Miller, who placed second in the high jump at 2.00 meters; his teammate, second-year Rowan McConkey, placed third with a jump of 1.95 meters.
With the A-10 projected points showing Rhode Island as 40-point underdogs to George Mason, these contributions from the underclassmen are crucial.
“When you’re a 40-point underdog, everyone’s contributions are going to matter,” Baltzell said. “Just moving from sixth to fifth or third to second, whatever it is, we’re going to be scrapping for points.”
It’s been quite some time since Rhode Island wasn’t the heavy favorite to win the A-10. This outdoor season marks a never-before-seen opportunity for a team in the A-10 to win a 10th straight conference title between the indoor and outdoor seasons. Rhode Island still has plenty of time to match George Mason’s projected points, as it still has two meets before the A-10 Championship.
“We know based on our past that our athletes will go to A-10s in peak form and have the best chance that they can of scoring big points,” Baltzell said. “We’re trusting the process, and the athletes are trusting the process, but one thing about this A-10 Championship, because we’re coming from behind, [is] the excitement of the meet is going to be that much better.”
That excitement will continue to build over the next nine days as the Atlantic 10 Championship approaches, but first, Rhode Island will compete in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia on Thursday, April 24 through Saturday.
