Boston College Athletics
Men's Track & Field Outlook 2006
September 28, 2006 | Men's Track & Field
Sept. 28, 2006
The men's track and field 2006-07 seasons are shaping up to be a strong campaign, with coach Thomas returning all of the team's top middle distance and distance runners from last season. Thomas has announced that seniors Mark Alizzi, Christopher Caulfield and Daniel LaFave will be the captains this season.
"They upperclassmen on the team are experienced and improved," Thomas said. "They are full of enthusiasm, which enhances the program and welcomes a talented group of freshmen."
Junior Patrick Mellea returns for the Eagles as the team's most versatile runner from 800-meters to the 5,000-meters. Mellea recorded a team best 4:11 mile at the ACC Indoor Championship, which placed him sixth in the conference, as well as the team best 5,000-meter time of 14:32, good enough for ninth at the ACC Outdoor Track Championships. He also anchored the the Distance Medley Relay with a 4:07 1,600m split at the famed Penn Relays.
Senior Captain Mark Alizzi led the team last year in the longer distance events. Alizzi won the 10,000-meter run at the New England Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 30:45.62. He also placed sixth in the same event at the ACC Outdoor Championships. Sophomore Tim Ritchie redshirted the track season as a freshman, but after a very successful cross country season as the team's #2 runner and the conferences' third best freshman, his potential in the 5,000-meter run is great this year. Ritchie will be joined by fellow sophomore Cory Ahern, who came on very strong at the end of last year with a great 5,000-meter race in 14:45 at the ACC Outdoor Championships. Ahern missed most of the year due to mono, but the the former high school All American should be on the right foot as a sophomore. In-coming freshman, Jordan Peeples from Brattleboro, VT will look to add depth to the distance runners on the track. Peeples was the 2006 New England High School 3,200-meter champion.
"The primary strength of this team is the middle distance events," according to Thomas. In the 800 meter event, senior Dan LaFave, an experienced middle distance runner, and junior Frank DiVittorio, who finished fifth in the 800-meters at the Indoor ACC Championships last year with a time of 1:52.00, give the Eagles some depth. LaFave recorded the second best team time of the year for the Eagles with a 1:53.64 to finish 5th in the New England Outdoor Championships. Mellea, DiVittorio, and fellow junior Jeremy Zagorski were all members of the school record setting 4x800m relay team that broke a 30-year-old record at the 2005 Indoor IC4A Championships. Zagorski also finished fifth in the 1,500-meters at the 2005 Big East Outdoor Championships, but redshirted his sophomore after ankle surgery. Three incoming middle distance runners, Ryan Diorio from Bryam Hills, N.Y., Michael Akins from Tampa, F.L., and Kevin Floster from Portland, M.E.will look to earn a spot on the BC relay squad as well. Diorio was a high school All American who ran 1:52.4 for 800-meters in the 4x800-meter relay at Nike Outdoor Nationals and Floster was the Maine State Champion in the same event.
In the 400-meter run, a strong group of athletes are led by senior Chris Caulfield and junior Ryan Henry. Caulfield consistently anchored the 4x400m relay in a speedy 48 seconds. The quartet of athletes also included sophomores Greg Hassel, Sebastian Mansson who helped the relay finish fourth at the New England Outdoor Championships. Newcomer, Brendan Gaffney from Kingston, N.Y. should add depth to the quarter-mile group.
In the field events Louis Canelli will take on the high jump, an event that he had competed at BC in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Now a senior, Canelli missed last season because he was studying abroad. "He is on the cusp of seven feet, which is the equivalent to the four minute mile. It is a huge feat," Thomas said. In 2005, Canelli jumped 6-7.24 at the Harvard meet on Dec. 4, which was the highest mark of that season for the Eagles. "He has the ability to score in the ACC this season," Thomas said.
The indoor track season begins with the traditional Harvard vs Boston College Dual Meet on the first Saturday in December.
