Dubuque, IA – A men’s relay team set a new school record while several other all-time top 10 performances were established last Saturday at the Spartan Open, the final meet of the regular season.
The record was set in the distance medley relay. Senior Kevin Box (Naperville, IL, Naperville North), junior Joe Puntoriero (Cheektowaga, NY, Cleveland Hill), and sophomores Matt Brongo (Eureka, IL, Eureka) and Gabe Moreno (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg ) finished the race in 10:45.38. That shattered the previous fastest time of 10:55.03 set at the 2009 Midwest Conference Championships. Box also ran a leg in that relay.
The DMR team placed third in the meet and secured eight points for the Prairie Fire. Besides establishing a new record, the four runners also combined for the fastest time in the Midwest Conference this season in the event.
Puntoriero continued his chase for the school record in the 200 meter dash. He finished sixth out of 37 runners in 23.08 seconds, which ranks sixth on the all-time performance list and just .21 seconds off of the 1999 record held by Scott McCarty. Puntoriero also owns the second, fourth, and ninth fastest times in the 200 meters.
Moreno added his name, for the fifth time, to the all-time performance list for the 3000 meter run. He turned in a time of 9:09.18 for seventh place in the race and points for the team. Moreno’s performance ranks as the eighth fastest in school history. He set the school record in the event, 8:58.55, almost one year to the day (February 19, 2011), also at the University of Dubuque.
Another long-distance runner that scored points for the Prairie Fire was junior Jacob Buddell (Lake Bluff, IL, Lake Forest ). He placed third in the 5000 meter run.
In the field events, the men's team got a career-best performance from sophomore Weston Chenoweth (Canton, IL, Canton). His shot put throw of 45' 7.24" ranks second in the Midwest Conference this season and earned him a third place finish in the meet. The throw also ranks ninth on the Knox men's all-time individual list for shot put distance.
Another field performer, senior Tony Sickley (LaSalle, IL, LaSalle-Peru ), recorded a distance of 44' 10.19" in the weight throw for an eighth place showing. He moved up to fourth on the all-time performance list with the throw, which is the ninth best in the conference this season.
The women’s team was led by senior Kristi Weller (Cullom, IL, Tri-Point), who ran the 55 meter dash in 7.69 seconds to place third in the meet. The time ranks tied for fourth on the all-time performance list and third on the all-time individual list, while it’s the fourth fastest in the conference this season.
Senior Emma Swanson (West Des Moines, IA, Valley) finished seventh overall in the 800 meter run in 2:26.71, matching her career-best time that’s seventh on the all-time individual list. Sophomore Yael Cody (Highland Park, IL, Highland Park) placed seventh in the mile, which she completed in 6:06.49. Sophomore Rayann Parkinson (Aledo, IL, Aledo) finished seventh in the 400 meter dash. Her time of 1:03.77 ranks tenth on the all-time individual list.
The Prairie Fire men’s squad scored 26 total points and placed eighth out of 12 teams. The Prairie Fire women’s team tallied 13 points and was 10th out of 11 teams.
Next up for the two teams in the 2012 Midwest Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. The meet will be held on February 24 and 25 at Illinois College.
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