Hofstra’s men’s and women’s track teams headed to Stony Brook University on Saturday, March 23, to compete in the Snow Flake Spring Opener outdoor track meet. The meet officially kicked off the Pride’s inaugural track season in the NCAA.

Hofstra sent 20 athletes to Stony Brook –11 men and nine women –11 of which were first-time athletes for the Pride, not having run in the cross country or indoor track season. 

Sophomore Sean Masterson placed 26th in the 300-meter dash with a time of 41.12 seconds and Ryan Connell and Tyler McPartland tied for 12th in the 600-meter run in a time of 1 minute, 31.80 seconds. Konrad Rynkowski and Andrew Giovinazzo were not far behind placing 14th and 15th respectively in the 600. The meet marks the NCAA debut for all five runners.

Freshmen Steven Fiumefreddo and Paul Markovina battled it out in the 1500-meter placing just 0.24 seconds apart in 14th and 15th place respectively with times of 4:15.01 and 4:15.25. 

Tosin Ibironke, Marc Meltzer and Dante Perez all raced in the 3000-meter. Ibironke was the men’s top individual finisher for the day in 10th with a time of 9:31.80. Meltzer and Perez finished in back-to-back places of 12th and 13th in times of 10:02.80 and 10:12.53.

Alex Masai, who led the team throughout all of cross country and indoor track, did not run but competed in long jump. Masai did not place. The Pride’s sprint medley relay team also did not place.

The women’s team saw three first-time runners in the 100-meter dash. Freshman Alex Cianciolo finished in ninth place with a time of 14.50. Lindsay Malings and Jamie Kanner followed in 11th and 12th place. Cianciolo also competed in the long jump, finishing eighth alongside sophomore Valerie Pierre who finished 10th. 

Madison Warfel and Frankie O’Brien also made their NCAA track debut in the 300-meter run placing in 14th and 15th respectively in times of 50.57 and 56.27.

Alyssa Suits was Hofstra’s sole racer in the 600-meter, finishing in 2:04.90, landing her in 15th place.

Megan Boese and Sophia Masciarelli rounded out the Pride competing in the 1500-meter and 3000-meter respectively. Boese placed 12th in a time of 5:39.79 and Masciarelli clocked in at 10:52.88, making her the women’s top finisher, and the team’s overall top finisher, in fifth place.

The Pride will next travel to Monmouth University to compete on Saturday, March 30.

Image courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Ryan Connell