Feb. 19, 2005
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Sophomore Mike Bamberger (East Northport, NY) broke a 15-year-old Metro Atlantic Conference meet record and captured the MAAC 800-meter title to lead the Marist College men's track team, which finished fourth at the MAAC Championships Friday night at the Armory Track and Field Center.
Bamberger won a thrilling 800-meter final in 1:52.96, breaking his week-old school record and eclipsing the previous MAAC mark of 1:53.16, set in 1990. Bamberger edged out Rider's Andre Fearon, who was second in 1:53.35.
Sophomore Brian DeMarco (Whippany, NY) won the MAAC title in the 400-meter dash in a school-record time of 49.64 seconds. The mark represents the first time in school history a Marist runner has cracked the 50.00-second barrier in the open 400 dash. It was also the first MAAC titlist in school history in this event. Combined with Bamberger, it represented the first time in school history Marist runners won two individual events at a MAAC championship.
Bamberger and DeMarco highlighted a meet that featured many strong performances for the Red Foxes.
Junior Rob DeAngelo (Brooklyn, NY) was the team's top sprinter, scoring in the 55-meter dash (5th, 6.67 seconds) and the 55-meter hurdles (4th, 8.04 seconds), and recording a personal-best time in the 200-meter dash (23.29). Junior David Snell also scored for Marist in the 55 dash, placing 6th in 6.73 seconds.
Senior captain Geoff Decker (Delmar, NY) had a breakthrough effort in the 3,000-meter run, placing fifth in 8:33.61. The time was a 10-second personal best. In the same race, sophomore Mark Fernandez (Commack, NY) ran a personal-best time of 8:45.10, good for seventh place.
In the 5,000-meter run, junior Mike Schab (West Islip, NY) stormed to a personal-best time of 15:29.47, nabbing the final scoring spot (6th place). Schab and Decker were the only non-Iona College runners to score points in the 3,000 and 5,000, events traditionally dominated by the national-caliber Gaels.
The Red Foxes closed out the meet with a strong, second-place showing in the 1,600 relay. The team of freshman Shaun Kippins (Latham, NY), senior captain Adam Pakiela (Ridgefield, CT), freshman Greg Marks (Whippany, NY) and DeMarco placed second in 3:23.67. DeMarco once again keyed the effort with a 49.5-second anchor split, moving from third place to second place in the final lap of the race.
The Red Foxes placed fourth with 42 points. Manhattan College won the meet with 186 points.
The Red Foxes return to action on Friday, Feb. 25, at the NYU Fastrack Invitational at the Armory.
Results
Team standings: 1. Manhattan 186, 2. Rider 145, 3. Iona 93, 4. Marist 42, 5. St. Peter's 25
55-meter dash: 5. Rob DeAngelo 6.67, 6. David Snell 6.73
55-meter hurdles: 4. Rob DeAngelo 8.04, 7. Nick Giacomo 8.31
200-meter dash: 8. Rob DeAngelo 23.29, 9. Adam Pakiela 23.53, 16. Matt Williams 23.77
400-meter dash: 1. Brian DeMarco 49.64 *school record, 7. Alex Soter 54.04, 8. Jim Skopas 55.70, 9. Pat Taylor 59.16
800-meter run: 1. Mike Bamberger 1:52.96 *school record, **MAAC record; 13. Bryan Dixon 2:02.22, 14. Chris Baum 2:02.65, 16. Matt Maynes 2:03.32, 17. Matt Walsh 2:04.27
Mile run: 7. Bryan Quinn 4:25.42, 9. Mike Guarascio 4:40.57, 11. Ted Marak 4:42.17
3,000-meter run: 5. Geoff Decker 8:33.61, 7. Mark Fernandez 8:45.10, 10. Mike Schab 9:23.85, 14. Ted Marak 9:43.80
5,000-meter run: 6. Mike Schab 15:29.47, 8. Matt Syzmaszek 15:55.32, 12. Mike Rolek 16:35.55
1,600-meter relay: 2. Marist (Brian DeMarco) 3:23.67
Distance medley relay: 4. Marist (Mike Bamberger) 10:44.62
Shot put: 10. Clayton Berry 13.43 meters
Triple jump: 7. Shaun Kippins 13.29 meters, 8. Nick Giacomo 12.06 meters
Long jump: 9. Shaun Kippins 6.12 meters
