Expectations High as Track & Field Readies for New England Championships

WESTON, Mass. - Five Regis (Mass.) indoor track and field athletes will compete on Saturday in the NCAA New England Regional Championships after qualifying throughout the season. The men’s championships will take place at Middlebury College, with the women’s championships at Springfield College.

Junior thrower Daniel LaFlamme (Watertown, Conn.) will be the men’s team’s lone representative, competing in the weight throw. On the women’s side, Kate Cowden (Wilmington, Mass.) and Elisabeth Cooke (East Longmeadow, Mass.) will compete in the shot put, ChiChi Akanegbu (North Easton, Mass.) in both shot put and weight throw, and Bernice Boateng (Danielson, Conn.) in the 60 meter dash.

Junior Fatima St. Hilaire (Danvers, Mass.) qualified for the New England Championships in both the 60 meter dash and the long jump, but a hamstring injury will keep her from competing this weekend.

The group of qualifiers has combined to break six school records, as each has come into his or her own this season, according to head coach Kourtney Bonsey. “They have kind of had this uncapped talent,” she said. “Bringing in (assistant coaches) AJ White and John Boisette and having them bring new ways of doing things with our training - I think that really helped with them. They have always had it in them, but this year they really took it more seriously.”

Having the men’s and women’s teams split up will also split the Pride coaching staff this weekend, a challenge not usually faced by coaches Bonsey, White, and Boisette. White, usually the direct coach of the throwers, will go with the women’s team to Springfield, leaving Coach Bonsey to head to Vermont with thrower LaFlamme. “LaFlamme isn’t directly coached by me,” Bonsey said. “It’s going to be important to find that connection and balance.”

Bonsey, while unable to be with the majority of her athletes this weekend, still anticipates some big things from the Pride. “If they can place higher than they’re seeded, that would be a huge thing for us.”

Live statistics and video for both events can be found at GoRegisPride.com, while times and results will also be tweeted throughout the day by @GoRegisPride and @RegisTrack_XC.

#RegisTF | #RoarPride