Gillespie, Rojeras, McLaughlin Named Indoor Track & Field Performers of the Week
MAAC Sports
Edison, NJ - Iona College's Matthew Gillespie and Manhattan
College's Mikael Rojeras were named Men's Indoor Track and Field Co-Performers
of the Week while Saint Peter's University's Morgan McLaughlin was named the Women's
Performer of the Week.
Gillespie, a
Graduate Student from Dollar, Scotland, became the third athlete in school
history to run a sub-four minute mile with his 3:58.55 effort at the 2013
Terrier Invitational hosted by Boston University. Gillespie led six Gaels in
the meet and was first overall in his heat winning by nearly three and a half
seconds. His time was the fifth fastest among the 15 sections and 1714
competitors in the event. All four competitors to finish ahead of him competed
in the "elite" section. He was the second collegiate finisher, .44 seconds
behind Northeastern's Eric Jenkins. Gillespie joins teammate Mitch Goose and
former Gael Richard Kiplagat as Iona runners to finish the mile in less than
four minutes.
Rojeras, a 6-0 junior
from Sala, Sweden, won three events in just over two hours on Saturday to lead
the Jaspers to their first team title at the Metropolitan Indoor Championships
since 2008. Approximately 90 minutes after winning the mile in 4:15.47, Rojeras
returned to the track for the 800 meters - and led a 1-2 Manhattan finish in
the event. His time of 1:52.22 is the top mark in the IC4A this season. Rojeras
then ran the anchor leg on the Jaspers' victorious 4x800 meter relay squad,
which also qualified for IC4A Championships with a 7:45.53 clocking.
McLaughlin, a 5-4 freshman from Dunellen, New Jersey, led the Saint Peter's women's indoor track
and field team to a third place finish at the Metropolitan Championships this
weekend. The third place finish was the program's highest ever finish at the
meet in school history. McLaughlin won the 60m hurdles and broke former Saint
Peter's athlete Ronnah Parham's school record. Her time of 8.69 was also an
ECAC qualifying time.
The
MAAC Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held on
Friday, February 15th at The New Balance Armory Track & Field Center in New
York City.