If an ability to handle transitions and obstacles is the mark of a well-trained team, then Colby’s outdoor track squads should be in for a good season. Indeed, after a week of sun and run in San Diego over break, the Mules returned to New England and had their first go at the regional climate at the Jim Sheehan Memorial Invitational at Fitchburg State in Massachusetts on Sunday. Due to inclement weather conditions, the meet—which was originally scheduled for Saturday—was pushed back one day, meaning that the team had a 6:30 a.m. bus ride down to Massachusetts and late ride back to Maine. Still, given the results, you wouldn’t be able to tell; two Mules took individual firsts and three took seconds in events featuring athletes from 10 total teams.

“It was a long road trip for sure,” said men’s co-captain Andy Maguire ’11, “We were pretty productive today with the limited roster due to the meet shift.” Leading the Mules was Harry Geldermann ’13, who easily won the pole vault with a launch of 13 feet, 1.5 inches—over two feet higher than the next competitor—and Maguire himself placed second in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 33:05.67, while Matthieu Nadeau ’12 took the same place in the 5,000 meters in 16:23.77. Matt White ’14, Luke Doherty Munro ’13, Dylan Nisky ’14 and Kevin Clarke ’14 then belied their young ages, taking second place in the 3,200-meter relay in a time of 8:30.48. Nisky then used his 800-meter prowess to take second in that very event, while Tom Letourneau ’13 placed third in the 10,000-meter event (34:16.67). Sophomore Shaquann Huntt took fourth place in the javelin and John Gilboy ’13 took the same place in the hammer throw. In the discus, first-year Mike Jones took fifth.

“The throwers in general had solid improvements in technique execution,” said Maguire, “and many of the distance and mid-distance runners ran very solid on the track despite fighting a brutal head wind on the home straightaway.” Maguire also noted that Justin Owumi ’14 qualified for the Division III Championships in the triple jump with his fourth-place leap of 42 feet, 4.25 inches.

On the women’s team, Maeve McGovern ’14 blew away the field in the 5,000-meter run, winning the race by nearly a minute-and-a-half in a time of 19:47.56 (the next competitor finished in 21:14.91). Katherine MacNamee ’14 placed second in the hammer throw, Chloe Gilroy ’14 took fourth in the discus, Jessica Mullaney ’11 took third in the 100-meter hurdles and Virginia Keesler ’13 finished ninth in the 800 meters. The women’s team came in sixth place out of the 10 scoring teams while the men placed third. This weekend both teams compete at Bates, and considering that many athletes sat out the meet in Fitchburg, Maguire knows it will be the first true showing of the season.

“We are very much looking forward to our Maine competition this Saturday,” said the men’s co-captain, “when we face MIT, Bates, and USM as a full squad for the first time.”