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7/30/2019 Alumni Newsletter - Jan-Feb 2013 2.0
1/6
Volume 3: January/February 2013 Contents:
Meet Recaps: NCAA XC Regionals, Bucknell Bison Open
Feature: Indoor Track Event Previews
Catching Up With: Britney Foreman, Sara Parkinson , Ashley
Fountleroy
7/30/2019 Alumni Newsletter - Jan-Feb 2013 2.0
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Saturday Dec. 1st
Bison Opener Bucknell University
Saturday Jan. 5th
Penn State Relays Penn State University
Friday Jan. 11th
Gotham Cup NYC Armory
Saturday Jan. 19th
Terrapin Invite PGSLC, Landover, MD
Friday Jan. 25th
PSU National Invite Penn State University
Saturday Jan. 25th
PSU National Invite Penn State UniversityPatriot Games George Mason University
Friday Feb. 1st
NB Collegiate Invite NYC Armory
Saturday Feb. 2nd
NB Collegiate Invite NYC Armory
Monday Feb. 11th
America East Champ. Reggie Lewis Center, MA
Tuesday Feb. 12th
America East Champ. Reggie Lewis Center
Saturday Mar. 2nd
IC4A/ECAC Champ. BU/RLC, Boston, MA
Sunday Mar. 3rd
IC4A/ECAC Champ. BU/RLC, Boston, MA
Friday Mar. 8th
NCAA Champ. Univ. of Arkansas
Saturday Mar. 9th
NCAA Champ. Univ. of Arkansas
Weve reached our third volume in what we intend to keep going
throughout the school year every two months. We are keeping the same format
of articles that we introduced in the last volume with more slant towards the
former womens team members and track & field events since the last volume
was very distance and male oriented. In the next volume we will have a more
even blend to the events. Additionally we are still experimenting with the visual
format of the newsletter and we hope to have hit it right on this one.
Take special note of the alumni events listed to the right as we are
hoping to get a larger contingent, across many generations back to campus for
not only our inaugural banquet but also the return of the Big Dawg Invite. Also
look for information in the newsletter for instructions on how you can sponsor an
event at the Big Dawg Invite. For example, via a personal contribution, the first
sponsored event so far is the Dr. Charles Brown Mens Javelin Throw. Please
contact Coach David Bobb if you are interested in sponsoring an event.
We are also in the process of rebuilding our alumni database with
updated email addresses. So if you did not receive this newsletter directly to your
inbox, check your spam folder first, and if you still did not receive it, please email
me your updated email address. If you have email of other alumni and you feel
comfortable passing them along so we can stay in contact that would be great.
Please spread the word as well to other alumni about our efforts and hopefully by
the start of next year we are reaching 75% of our alumni.
Matt Gittermann
The Track and Field Banquet is a new event designed to bring together
alumni, current team members, and future members of the UMBC Cross
Country and Track & Field Teams. It is a great opportunity to reconnect
with old teammates, network with other alumni, and meet the current
team and coaching staff.
After a ten year absence, the Big Dawg Invite returns to the campus of
UMBC with a slate of teams including Duquesne, Bucknell, Howard, and
many others. An alumni tent/reception will be held with drinks and
snacks. Coupled with the banquet, its a great weekend to come back to
your alma mater
7/30/2019 Alumni Newsletter - Jan-Feb 2013 2.0
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David Bobb Matt Gittermann Peter KoumlelisHead Track & Field Coach Head Cross Country Coach Assistant Track & Field Coach
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
410-455-6588 410-455-1324 410-455-1282
NCAA Mid Atlantic XC Regional:
The cross country teams wrapped up their season competing at the Mid-Atlantic Regional held on the Penn State University Golf Course. The mens
team finished 14th
while the women finished 26th
. Leading the men with a 41st
place finish was Brandan McGee whose time of 31:29.35 was the second fastest
time in school history for 10,000 meters. Juniors Jake Albino and freshman Hassan Omar also broke into the Top 10 All Time with times of 32:02 (62nd
) and 32:22
(80th
) respectively. For the women, Julie Gessler, ran a personal best 23:18 to lead the women over 6,000 meters.
Bucknell Bison Opener:
Mercedes Jackson breaks her own school record in the 60 meter dash in 7.47 seconds. Ebonique Jones (7.76), Tessa Seale, and D Nique Phillips also
recorded Top 10 All Time marks in the 60 meter dash.
Ebonique Jones won the long jump with a personal best 18-5 jump
Amanda Deller won the weight throw and shot put
Chowan Brightful finished second in the 60 meter hurdles and third in the high jump
Kirsten Jones, Sarah Daly, Cody Mezebish, Essence Fredericks, and Ashly McClure all finished in the Top 8 at the meet
Yao Adantor threw a IC4A qualifying 15.74 meters in the shot put
Trae Proctor finished 2nd in the hurdles with a new personal best 8.03 to qualify for the IC4A meet
Freshmen Redatu Semeon and Andrew Kereszetes finished 2nd
in the 3,000 meters and mile respectively
Aboshioma Obemeata and Mo Drammeh finished second in the triple jump and high jump respectively
4 Cross Country Runners Named to America East All Academic Team:Junior All-Conference selection Brandan McGee (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) headline
a group of four Retrievers named to the America East All-Academic Team, the conference
office announced on Tuesday afternoon. McGee was joined on the mens team by classmate
Vinny DiSalvo (Washingtonville, N.Y./Washingtonville), as well as sophomore Eric Schuler
(Columbia, Md./Reservoir) while junior Kirsten McGovern (Sykesville, Md./Century)
represented UMBC on the womens squad. With four athletes named to the two teams, UMB
ties Hartford and Stony Brook for the most athletes recognized.
For McGee, the honor comes just two weeks after placing seventh overall at the
conference meet in Durham, N.H. where he earned a spot on the America East All-Conference
squad. In the classroom, McGee has accumulated a 3.39 grade-point average while double
majoring in economics as well as health administration and policy.
After not competing in the first two meets of the season, DiSalvo scored in four of
the final five competitions for the Retrievers, including the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional
Championships at Penn State last week. The junior has been diligent in his studies as well,earning a 3.79 GPA while studying for a degree in mechanical engineering. In his first two yea
at UMBC, DiSalvo has earned a spot on the Presidents List twice for having a perfect 4.0 GPA
during the semester and also garnered semester academic honors on one other occasion.
Meanwhile, Schuler competed in six meets this year, missing only the Towson
Invitational, scoring four times, one of which came during a 16th place finish at the America
East Championships. In the classroom, Schuler earned a perfect 4.0 GPA during his freshman
year at UMBC, earning a spot on the Presidents List during the Fall 2011 semester.
McGovern represents the womens team after leading the team once this season
and scoring in six of the Retrievers seven competitions. In her first two years in Baltimore,
McGovern has compiled a 3.94 GPA while studying for a degree in environmental science. In
addition, the junior has been working towards a minor in linguistics and earning an honors
college certificate. McGovern has earned a perfect 4.0 GPA during three of her four terms at
UMBC, garnering a mention on the Presidents List as well as a spot on the Deans List .
http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mtrack/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=6655http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mtrack/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=6659http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mtrack/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=6643http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/wtrack/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=6708http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/wtrack/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=6708http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mtrack/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=6643http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mtrack/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=6659http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mtrack/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=66557/30/2019 Alumni Newsletter - Jan-Feb 2013 2.0
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Indoor Track and Field Preview:In her first season, Mercedes Jackson re-wrote the record books during both the indoor and
outdoor season, taking home multiple Conference titles and Newcomer of the Year awards in the
process. With expectations higher in her second season, Jackson spent the summer on campus working
out and appears to be far ahead of last year. "We've tried to instill in our athletes that it takes a lot of
hard work to be successful," revealed Coach Bobb, "but it takes even more work and effort to maintain
that success." With Conference success probable, a larger stage for success might be in the works as
Coach Bobb said, "that the Conference meet remains the number one priority, however, there is a
definitive goal for her to reach the National meet."
Joining her will be a plethora of young talent with depth in every single event. With Jackson
in the shorter events (60m and 200m dashes) will be fellow sophomore Ebonique Jones. As a freshman,
Jones had a great year, scoring in the long jump, 60 meter and 200 meter dashes at the Indoor
Conference Meet and scoring in the 100 meter and 200 meter dashes, while running a leg on the
Conference Champion 4x100 meter relay at the Outdoor Conference meet. In the lone hurdle eventduring the indoor season, senior Chowan Brightful returns after a breakout season that saw her finish
fifth indoors in the 60 meter hurdles and fourth outdoors in the 100 meter hurdles. As the fastest
returner in the Conference, she could contend for a Conference title.
The 200 meter dash could be a big event for the Retrievers, with not only Jones and Jackson
returning scorers, but with a strong core group of long sprinters adding more depth and impact. Junior
Kirsten Jones, a multi-time scorer in the 200 meter and 400 meter dashes in both the indoor and
outdoor Conference returns. Sophomore Briana Young was one of only two Conference runners to
score in both the 200 meters and 400 meters in last year Championships, and she followed that up with
a sixth place finish in the 200 meters at the Outdoor Championships. Sophomores Kalane Abbey and
Blossom Metevier will add even more depth to these events and should factor into the scoring.
Additionally, look for freshman D'Nique Philips to make an immediate impact.
Moving up to the 500 meter dash one finds junior Deborah Adelola and sophomore Paulette
Fogle in the conversation for Conference points. They finished sixth and eighth respectively last year
with some of the fastest times in school history and both will be looking to move further up the ranks.
Combined with Kirsten Jones, Abbey, Young, and Metervier, you have a deep group of talent that
should contend for the Conference 4x400 meter title. "Our hopes are not to only score a lot of points
with our depth, but also to score high and monopolize as many points as possible on the women's side,"
said Coach Bobb.
Leading the men will be senior Trae Proctor, the two-time defending Conference Champion
in the 60 meter hurdles. Proctor blew out the field last year in the finals and crept ever so close to being
the first Retriever to dip under eight seconds in the event. The leading returner in the short sprints is
senior Sean Cooper, who placed fifth in the 60 meter and sixth in the 200 meter dashes respectively.
The IC4A qualifier continued his success in the outdoor campaign scoring in the 100 meter and 200
meter dashes.
Joining him this year will be senior Denny Long who red-shirted indoor and outdoor track
after making an initial splash at the Bison Opener last season. His time from that meet alone would have
put him in contention for top three at the Conference meet. Additionally, transfer Jenove Blanfort
(Virginia Union) could add a potent punch to the addition of Long. Together they could contend for the
Conference title in the short sprints. To fill out the depth, returners Kyle Baker and Pat Balderson will be
looked upon to get into the scoring fray in the shorter sprints, while newcomers will be relied upon to
fill the void left by graduate Josh Hewitson.
Things to Watch For This Season:
Sophomore Mercedes Jackson has a
legitimate shot to make a run at the
national meet. With a PR of 7.48, she
would need to drop down to about 7.30 to
qualify
Trae Proctor will be looking for his third
consecutive Conference Championship in
the 60 meter hurdles
The womens sprint team as a whole, on
paper is one of the strongest in team
history. With their depth, look to see how
many points they can rack up at the
Conference meet
Catching Up With: Britney Foreman
A graduate of Chesapeake High School in Pasadena, Maryland, Britney Foreman made an immediate impact on the UMBC track team, initially
breaking the 60 meter dash record in her inaugural season. She would go on to improve upon that mark, along with setting school records in
the outdoor 200 meter dash and lending a leg on the school record 4x100 meter and Spring Medley Relays. A three time MVP for the
womens team we caught up to her where she is currently working as a financial anal yst for a computer science firm.
What was your favorite athletic memory of UMBC? When I ran my personal best in the 200m dash and 4x400m split (2010). Coming into
college, the 60m and 100m dash were my primary races that I did the best in. However, it turned out that I ran my best in the 200 meters
(24.4). I put in extra work in lifting and doing 400m workouts and it definitely paid off. My final year, I was able to split 57 in the 4x400m relay.
Who was your coach and what do you remember of their coaching style? Coach Bobb and Coach Torge. Coach Torge would provide the lifting workout and
would trust the athlete to get it done. Sometimes he would come with us to the weight room and provide any additional assistance if needed. Coach Bobb
always provided the workouts and let us know what our goals were. This was very helpful. It helped us stay focused and set our goals early on in the season. He
was always accessible to talk or discuss anything athletically or academically. I truly enjoyed training under Coach Bobb. He listened to his athletes and tried his
best to create workouts that helped us reach our goals while paying attention to our personal needs.
Are you involved in the sport still in any capacity? If so, how? No. I will go on long runs from time to time but I am no longer training or competing.
How do you feel that UMBC (academic/athletically/etc.) prepared you for life after college? UMBC prepared me very well. I learned dynamics of working on a
team and being a leader amongst my peers by being a team captain. Also, I learned the importance of hard work and how it always pays off in the end. These
are attributes that I apply every day at work and in graduate school.
http://umbcxctf.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/dsc00214.jpghttp://umbcxctf.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/dsc00214.jpghttp://umbcxctf.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/dsc00214.jpghttp://umbcxctf.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/dsc00214.jpghttp://umbcxctf.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/dsc00214.jpghttp://umbcxctf.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/dsc00214.jpghttp://umbcxctf.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/dsc00214.jpghttp://umbcxctf.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/dsc00214.jpg7/30/2019 Alumni Newsletter - Jan-Feb 2013 2.0
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Indoor Track and Field Preview::
After an injury-plagued freshman season, junior Cody Mezebish broke out in her second year, with a surprising and near ECAC qualifying fifth place finish in the indoor
800 meters at the Conference meet. Her 2:14.95 represented the second fastest time in school history and a three second personal record at the time. During the
outdoor season she lowered her time to 2:14.2 and this past fall she was the leading running for much of the cross country season. "With the progress she made last
year, coupled with the strong cross country season, there is no reason why she can't contend for a top three position," said Coach Matt Gittermann, "she is definitely
going to lead a strong core of mid-distance runners for the women." Joining her will be Sarah Daly who just missed out on making the finals of the 500 meters at last
year's Championships and moved up to the 800 meters during the outdoor season. This fall she was a constant varsity contributor for the cross country team. Returner
Mary Katherine Kulp should add depth in the 800 meters through mile, while a slew of newcomers could make a huge impact on the mid-distance events. "I believe we
now have the talent to contend for the 4x800 meter relay not only this year but for the near future."
The longer events will feature Julie Gessler who had a strong end to her cross country team leading them across the line at the Mid-Atlantic Regional and freshman
Nicole Dawson who was a consistent top three runner for the Retrievers in the fall. Sophomore Alyse Gibson and freshman Harmony Roche should add depth to the
events.
In the mid-distance events for the men, Andrew Smith returns after two successful seasons running 800 meters, including a fourthplace finish last year. In the mile,Jake Albino, who missed last year's indoor season due to injury will lead the team in the mile, after a fourth place finish in the 1500 meters at the Outdoor Conferencemeet. "Both Andrew and Jake have the talent to contend for top three positions in the 800 meters and the mile," said Gittermann, "and they should form the bookends
on a formidable DMR (distance medley relay)." Look for freshman Andrew Kereszetes to make an immediate impact in either the 1,000 meter or 800 meter runs.
The distance events will be led by a crew of runners whose depth propelled the cross country team to a third place finish at the Cross Country Conference
Championships. Leading the men will be the All Conference Cross Country Performer Brandan McGee whose seventh place finish led the men at the Conferences and
set school marks for the 5,000 meters and 8,000 meters during the fall. The Conference Champion in the spring in the steepler, he is looking to extend that success
indoors. The lone distance senior Todd Cowing will look to improve upon his 12th place finish in the 3,000 meters last year when he set a personal best 8:32. Returners
Vinny DiSalvo, Tommy Eldridge, and Eric Schuler will add to depth along with freshmen Hassan Omar and a crew of impact freshmen.
Things to Watch For This Season:
Its conceivable, that every schoolrecord on the mens side is in play
to be broken over the next two
years, with only one senior on the
roster
The womens 4x800m relay has set
itself up to be contending for the
Conference title for the next couple
years and could potentially go under
the 9 minute barrier
The mens distance medley relay
could develop into a regional power
over the next two years, potentially
capable of a Top 50 or Top 25
National Ranking
Catching Up With: Sara Parkinson
Sara originally came to UMBC from Longborough University in England as a netball player who dabbled in track and field. She
was only on a one year exchange program and was supposed to leave at the end of the year, however, she decided to stick around
and become the most decorated female distance runner in school history either holding or sharing in six school records. She was a multi-time
All Conference Runner in all three seasons and won the Conference title in the 5,000m at the Indoor Conference Meet her junior year. Currently she is living in
New Zealand working in a clothing store (to maintain a visa) while working as an intern at a Fashion Company (Dissh) and magazine (Raw Ink).
What was your favorite non-athletic memory of being at UMBC?
Having the chance to live and study in a foreign institution so far away from home is an experience I will never be able to have again. It was the chance in a life
time and when I ever hear of anyone wishing to study abroad I always tell them to do it! My whole American experience will be a favorite chapter in my life. I
miss many things about it still today.
Are you still active in the sport?
Yes, of course!!! I still run, 5-6 times a week (now i take a couple of days off a week). I was training before I moved to Australia a month ago, I was mainly
doing longer distances from 5 km to half marathons. I feel like you need to be in great shape (i.e., running is your number one) priority to run anything below 5
km decently, well maybe thats just me. I did take a break immediately after running at UMBC as my body needed it. I took about 6-7 months off from running
but I still did other sports like netball and tennis. I picked it back up though after Christmas and came 10th in the Edinburgh half marathon last May in a time of
83 minutes, I have also recently run a 10km in under 38mins on the road, so I still love running I guess i am just a little slower. I plan doing marathons
eventually...after I get a full time job!
What did you take from your time at UMBC?
It's funny you ask this question because my time at UMBC as a runner has come in very handy on a number of occasions. Having been interview for a number
of jobs/attended assessment days, they often ask you to talk about something you are passionate about. I always prepare a two minute presentation on what
running as a NCAA athlete has taught me about myself and life including the importance of hard work and determination, how to lead, the importance of
taking risks, and how to believe in the hard work I put in order to overcome perceived obstacles.
7/30/2019 Alumni Newsletter - Jan-Feb 2013 2.0
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Indoor Track and Field Preview:Throws:
Senior Amanda Deller is looking to become the second America East
athlete to win four straight shot put titles during the indoor season and could
possibly be the first athlete ever to win all shot put titles over a four year
period. During the outdoor season she crept even closer to the fifty foot barrier
despite a lingering injury. Additionally she swept all the throwing events indoor
by not only taking home the weight throw title, but Field Performer of the Year
Award as well. Depth will be hurt by the loss of perennial All-Conference
performer Chrissy Robinson, but junior Emma Mayne returns from injury and
freshmen Jen Nelson and Nneoma Edokobi could step right in.
For the men, senior returner Cameron McDearmon should lead theway after sixth place finishes in the shot put and the weight throw at last year's
championships. With a school record toss of 61'-9.5" during the regular season
with the weight, that type of performance suggests that he can contend for a
Conference title. Joining him will be transfer Yao Adator (Maryland), whose
past performance in the shot put could make him a contender for the
Conference title. Fellow transfer Thor Serafenas (Clemson) will add top three
potential to both the shot and the weight. Ray Stinsman returns and adds depth
after just missing out on the scoring in the shot put and weight throw last year.
"The talent is there to sweep all four throwing events across both genders,"
said Coach Peter Koumlelis, "we just to put in the early season work so we can
harvest those performances at the Conference meet."
Jumps, Vaults, and Multi's:
Senior Shioma Obemeata returns in hopes of obtaining the
Conference title he was so close to getting last year in the triple jump finishing
second in both the indoor and outdoor Championships. Additionally, Obemeata
will be looking to extend beyond his specialty to include both the long and high
jumps, events he could potentially score in. Also returning is junior Dosu
Teyibo, whose improvements in the jumping events led to a sixth place finish in
the triple jump and just outside the scoring in the long jump in Boston last year.
Finally, multi-time IC4A qualfier junior Mo Drammeh will return in the high
jump, having finished second last year in the event.
For the women, ECAC qualifier and school record holder Chowan
Brightful will look to contend for a Conference title in the high jump after
finishing third last season. Additionally, she could add depth to the long jump,
an event that saw Ebonique Jones finish eighth last year but had regular season
jumps that suggest she could be a factor in the top three. Newcomer Caitlyn
Davis could provide depth in the high and triple jumps, but should make an
impact in her best event, the pole vault.
The men's heptathlon should continue to be a strong event for the
Retrievers. Last year, sophomore Eric Ezenwanne finished fourth in his first yearcompeting in the multi-events. With more practice under his belt in the events
he was just introduced to last year, he could contend for the top spot in the
Conference. Joining him will be junior John Rybak who was a spot outside of the
scoring last year, though he did finish fifth in the open 60 meter hurdles. Add in
freshmen Vincent Rentzch, who could potentially score not only in the
heptathlon but also in the shot and triple.
Things to Watch For This Season:
It is possible that the throws team
could sweep the mens and womensthrowing events at the Conference
meet
Three men are in range of scoring in
the heptathlon, an event that has been
historically strong for UMBC
Look for the newcomers, both
transfers and freshmen, to come in
and make an immediate impact at the
Conference meet
Catching Up With: Ashley Fauntleroy
During her time at UMBC, Ashley put together one of the most
successful careers in school history winning nine Conference
Championships in the shot, weight, discus, and hammer. A three
time America East Field Performer of the year, her discus mark is still
the school mark. Currently she works in the International Sales
Operation at Under Armour in Baltimore.
What was your favorite athletic memory of UMBC?
My senior year, being undefeated in indoor and outdoor conferencemeets and wrapping up the season with the UMBC Most
Outstanding Athlete award for 2007-2008. Also, I have a lot of good
memories of the UMBC track team in general. I think i ts rare to find
a track and field team with the family dynamic that UMBC had/has.
Who was your coach and what do you remember of their coaching
style?
I was coached by Gary Crago for 3 years (freshman junior) and by
Andrew Torge my senior year. Coach Cragos coaching style was very
technical and firm. I remember him pushing me to learn the
rotational technique in the shot put. I put up a lot of resistance
towards this change during my freshman year but, Coach Crago was
adamant that I learn and master the technique. Although it took a
lot of trial and error, it worked out for the best in the end.
Coach Torges coaching style was enthusiastic to say the least. I
believe his enthusiasm and encouragement brought me to a newlevel. He really helped to build my confidence and made me feel like
I could accomplish just about anything. Im thankful for both of
them.
Are you involved in the sport still in any capacity? If so, how?
Not currently. I coached throws at Wagner College from 2009-2011.
Once the weather warms up again, Ill be back out on the field
throwing discus and hammer for fun.
How do you feel that UMBC (academic/athletically/etc.) prepared
you for life after college?
UMBCs high academic and athletic standards provided some of the
greatest challenges I have experienced thus far. Surpassing these
challenges helped to build the confidence and skills that I needed to
succeed as a graduate assistant at Wagner College and earn my
MBA. The coaching I received/observed at UMBC from my throws
coaches as well as Coach Bobb, Coach Flowers, and Coach Cantor,
helped to develop and mold my coaching technique. Everything
seems easy when I compare it to what I exceeded at UMBC. Im
always proud to say that Im a UMBC alumnus.