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It was a historic day for the С����Ƶ track and field team on Sunday, Feb. 19, at the 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Indoor Championships. On the final day of action at the two-day event, the Bronc men finished in first-place to earn their first-ever indoor conference championship and the women ended in second-place. 

On the second day of the MAAC Championships, the Rider men jumped from fourth to first-place thanks to strong performances, while the women remained in second thanks to their depth. Rider edged defending conference champion Monmouth on the men’s side by just three points, 149-146, while Iona (116 points), Manhattan (113.50 points) and Saint Peter’s (45.50) rounded out the top-five.

On the women’s side, Monmouth captured its fourth straight MAAC Championship with a total of 208.50 points. The Broncs finished in second with 137 points, while Manhattan (92.50), Quinnipiac (67 points) and Iona (56 points) rounded out the top-five.  

“It was a tremendous win by the men,” С����Ƶ Head Coach  said. “It was a total team effort. In order to beat Monmouth you have to be competitive in every event and never give up hope because they can crush you at any moment. We had many athletes step up and out perform their seeds, which is always crucial to winning a championship. The men earned this today and I am very proud of their efforts. It’s always a great thrill to win a championship and it is something that lives with you forever.”

The Rider men had a major award winner for the first time since 2011 when Christian Gonzalez was named the Men’s Track Most Outstanding Co-Performer. On Sunday, junior  (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) was named the Men’s Field Most Outstanding Performer. Adams won the long jump with a mark of 7.55M and he also finished fifth in the triple jump and sixth in the high jump. Hamer was also honored as the 2017 MAAC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year. It marked the second time during his tenure that he received the distinction after being tabbed as the Men’s Coach of the Year back in 2010. 

“The women performed well in so many areas,” Hamer added. “They were up against a dominant Monmouth team that was incredible this weekend. I am really proud of the women's efforts and we will keep at it until we can hoist that trophy. Second-place is a still a great accomplishment and we are building a great foundation for future success.”

In the field events on Sunday, the Broncs earned big points. Senior  (Hampton, NJ/North Hunterdon) won the pole vault with a mark of 4.90M. Sophomore  (Plainfield, NJ/Saint Joseph HS/Metuchen) took first-place in the triple jump at 14.76M to garner 10 pivotal points for the Broncs.

The Rider women were dominant in the high jump, finishing first and second. In total, the Broncs had four student-athletes finish in the top-10 in the event. Senior  won the high jump and sophomore  came in second. 

Sophomore  racked up eight team points for the women with a second-place finish in the triple jump, while sophomore  finished fourth in the shot put.  

The Rider men placed three runners in the top-eight in the 60M dash to begin the day. Freshman  paced the Broncs in the event with a time of 7.13 to finish fourth. The men also placed three in the top-eight in the 200M dash as well. In that event, freshman  finished second overall, posting a time of 22.33.

In the 800M, Rider had two runners in the top-three, highlighted by senior  winning the event. The strongest showing of the day for Rider came in the 60M hurdles with four Broncs in the top-seven. Sophomore  won the event with a mark of 8.09 and junior  finished third at 8.39. 

For the women,  ran a strong race to finish second in the 60M hurdles and set a new Rider record with a time of 8.51. Sophomore  and senior  also had standout performances for Rider. 

“Taylor had a big meet for us this weekend” Hamer added. “She went toe to toe with some really good sprinters this weekend and she gave us some valuable points. She is a gamer and we are very excited for her future. McGarrity also had a tremendous meet. It is no easy task to race the 5,000 and the 3,000 in the same weekend and to do it at such a high level is just really special. We asked a lot of her this weekend and she really brought it.”

“My staff did a tremendous job preparing the athletes for success in a championship setting,” Hamer stated. “We had so many personal bests and big-time performances that do not happen without great coaching.  It is a testament to their skill and dedication to the athletes in the program.”